5 unpopular manifesto promises Theresa May already gave up

Theresa May has giving up a lot of election promises she made weeks ago, after failing to win a majority in the general election and also failing to obtain a hung parliament deal with the DUP.

Large areas of strategy which May campaigned on have been simply erased from the Queen’s Speech and will not be promoted by her government for at least the next two years.

Here are 5 of the manifesto promises May has now dropped:

Grammar schools

This one of May’s most important election promises. She said back then that her party will “lift the ban on the establishment of selective schools” and allow the return of a new wave of grammar schools.

Now she is decided to invest in technical education. “We want every child to go to a good or outstanding school,” the government’s briefing states, Business Insider reports.

Throwing away free school lunches

This one was a policy almost deliberately created to lose votes. Theresa May wanted to get rid of free school lunches for little school children, replacing them with breakfasts.

Of course, the policy was seriously unpopular with parents, so now we can see that May has gave up the idea. After all, it was from the beginning a fight she can’t win.

The Dementia tax

May’s plan to rebuild social care was probably the main controversy of the general election. The policy was quickly nicknamed “the dementia tax” and is generally credited with costing May the majority.

So it is no surprise that the whole plan seems to have been abandoned.

Instead May made a weak new promise – to “work with partners at all levels including those who use services and who work to provide care, to bring forward proposals for public consultation.”

Fox hunting

Theresa May also promised to bring back fox hunting, a very controversial policy, as it became a major campaigning topic for the Conservatives’ opponents.

Now, since is no mention of the proposals in the Queen’s speech, Britain’s foxes are safe for now.

Cutting winter fuel payments

Another guaranteed vote-losing policy was May’s strategy to cut winter fuel payments for wealthier pensioners.

As expected, it was very bad received by older voters, who had been planning to vote in overwhelming numbers for the Conservatives, but until that point they’ve changed their mind.

Today, there is no mention of the plans in the Queen’s speech or accompanying documents.

Ending the pensions triple lock

The Conservative manifesto also promised to end the triple lock on pensions by 2020. Under the triple lock the value of the state pensions goes up by either inflation, average earnings or a minimum of 2.5%, depending on which is highest.

May would have ended the 2.5% commitment, practically making it a double rather than a triple lock.

Two weeks since election and still chaos

After her botched gamble on a June 8 snap election deprived her Conservative Party of a majority in the 650-seat Westminster parliament, May is trying to get the support of the DUP’s 10 lawmakers to avoid a second election.

Since talks began with the DUP almost two weeks ago in the chaos following May’s unexpected loss of her majority, the negotiations have followed an uncertain course with conflicting signals about whether a deal would be struck.

Donaldson, who is helping to lead the detailed talks from the DUP side, told Ireland’s RTE that talks had made progress and that he hoped for a deal before a vote on May’s legislative plan which is due next Thursday.

May, the Conservatives and the DUP have much to lose without a deal: May could be out of a job, the Conservatives could face another election and the DUP would lose their best chance in decades to secure more financing for Northern Ireland.