Lindsay Razaq: There may yet be a way back for PM Theresa

THIS week Theresa May marks her first anniversary as Prime Minister.

Senior Conservatives had high hopes for the vicar’s daughter in the aftermath of her leadership victory following Andrea Leadsom’s withdrawal from the contest.

But the past 12 months have been a torrid voyage for Mrs May.

It’s hard to remember what life was like before she called the snap general election, so much has happened since.

Unbelievably, it now seems, the Berkshire MP entered the race with the largest poll lead of any Tory PM in modern history.

Then, bit by bit, day by day, she threw it all away.

Her awkwardness and lack of charisma quickly became apparent, while Jeremy Corbyn relished the chance to get stuck in.

The game-changing moment came of course at the launch of the Tory manifesto, with its controversial proposals for social care reform, part of what critics branded an assault on pensioners.

Mrs May also found herself under pressure over police cuts following the terrorist atrocities in Manchester and London.

Having scraped across the line with a lost majority, the Prime Minister set about treading water.

But her situation has improved little in the last month.

When you’re down and out, everything becomes a battering ram for your opponents – even a mistimed Mexican wave.

More seriously, Mrs May’s seeming inability to connect with residents affected by the Grenfell fire left many questioning not just her suitability as PM but her basic humanity.

Her credibility was further dented by the £1 billion DUP deal, described as a “bribe” and “bung” to cling onto power. And the fragility of her position was laid bare by the rushed announcement of funding for women in Northern Ireland to have abortions in England after Stella Creasy’s Queen’s Speech amendment built up steam.

There is also speculation Mrs May could be forced into a further U-turn on the treatment of women affected by accelerated increases to the state pension age.

Moreover, reported Cabinet splits over Brexit and issues like the public sector pay cap are proving hard to manage.

A month ago, former chancellor George Osborne branded her a “dead woman walking”. So we all thought.

Yet she still stands.

And a few days ago, Boris Johnson went as far as to praise her “unbelievable grace and steel”.

At this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, we caught a glimpse of the fight she may still have left.

Yes, she resorted to a few Cameron clichés, but looked more resilient than she has.

Don’t forget either how swiftly she went from hero to zero.

So, if she makes a “success of Brexit” – as she keeps asserting she can – she may ride out the storm and start to climb back up the ladder.

That said, it’s hard to imagine the party machine letting her anywhere near another election campaign.

The news that male MPs do not need to wear ties in the Commons chamber is certainly raising eyebrows.

Given the high temperatures in London this week, I would have expected both them and my colleagues in the press gallery to jump at the chance to go tieless.

Wrong. At Prime Minister’s Questions, I could only spot one Tory (I can’t see the Labour backbenches from my seat) with an open collar – James Duddridge.

Similarly, most reporters didn’t deviate from their usual attire and I even heard one complain about slipping standards.

Surely there are more important things to worry about?