May hits the local election campaign trail despite cough

Theresa May was back out on the doorstep today despite the heavy cold which left her spluttering through her conference speech.

She turned out with local activists despite her illness and the need to make an important speech in the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.

Mrs May is expected to update MPs on the contents of her Florence speech in an appearance which will last well over an hour. 

The Prime Minister knocked doors in Twyford, Berkshire, in her Maidenhead constituency. 

Bizarrely, the leaflets handed out appeared to feature an image of Mrs May that was as much as four years old – appearing to date from the Tory conference in 2013. 

The leaflets appeared to be in support of John Jarvis, a Wokingham Borough Councillor.  

Theresa May was back out on the doorstep today (pictured) despite the heavy cold which left her spluttering through her conference speech

The Prime Minister knocked doors in Twyford, Berkshire, in her Maidenhead constituency ahead of local elections next spring 

The Prime Minister knocked doors in Twyford, Berkshire, in her Maidenhead constituency ahead of local elections next spring 

Revealing the trip out, May tweeted: ‘Out on the doorstep again this weekend.

‘A really good chance to show how we truly are building a country that works for everyone.’

Mrs May had hoped Wednesday’s speech would reboot her authority after months of vicious infighting over Brexit after June’s general election.

But she coughed and spluttered through the 65-minute address, was confronted with a P45 by a prankster on stage and the set began collapsing behind her.

She turned out with local activists despite her illness and the need to make an important speech in the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.

She turned out with local activists despite her illness and the need to make an important speech in the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.

Mrs May denied reports she had cried over the disaster on the drive from Manchester back to London on Wednesday afternoon.

She said: ‘One minute journalists are accusing me of being an ice maiden or a robot, then they claim I’m a weeping woman in dire need of a good night’s sleep! 

‘The truth is my feelings can be hurt, like everyone else, but I am pretty resilient.

‘I am blessed to have a wonderful husband, great friends and family and a talented team around me.’ 

The image on Mrs May’s leaflets (left) appears to be old – probably dating from the autumn of 2013 (Mrs May is pictured right at conference in Manchester that year) 

Insisting the debacle had to be kept ‘in proportion’, the Premier added: ‘I had to give a long speech with a bad cough, a somewhat shaky set and a so-called comedian intent on getting his 15 minutes of fame.

‘Was it uncomfortable? Certainly. But let’s not get carried away!’ 

Mrs May said it was ‘frustrating’ the work that went into the speech was wasted but she added: ‘I didn’t come into politics for an easy life, I came into politics to make a difference, to sweep away injustice and to give a voice to those who have been ignored for too long.’ 

Mrs May's new intervention came after she coughed and spluttered through a crucial speech to the Tory conference on Wednesday (pictured) 

Mrs May’s new intervention came after she coughed and spluttered through a crucial speech to the Tory conference on Wednesday (pictured) 

Mrs May’s speech was interrupted by a prankster (left) and the PM was embraced by her husband as consolation at the end of the disastrous address (right) 

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk