Delivering the keynote speech at the Tory Party conference in Manchester should have been Prime Minister Theresa May's opportunity to put things right amid the in-party turmoil that she is facing and the questions raised over her leadership. Instead, she delivered a speech that made headlines but for the wrong reasons.

The PM's delivery

There is no question that as a politician who stepped into David Cameron's shoes just over a year ago, Theresa May is probably not the candidate who the Tory party hardcore would choose as their leader. She lacks the icy determination of Margaret Thatcher and the marketing savvy of ex-Labour leader Tony Blair, but Mrs.

May knows she has a job to do and seems determined to give the leadership her best shot. She didn't look at ease delivering a speech to the attendant masses and must have been painfully aware of her supposed challenger for the party leadership, Boris Johnson, hanging on her every word.

This was a speech where the PM could galvanise the party and use it as a springboard to move forward. Instead, Mrs. May chose to apologise to the party faithful for leading them into a snap election at the beginning of summer. It was an election that at one point, she looked unlikely to win, but surely, the keynote speech should be seen as an opportunity to look forwards and not to dwell on the past. If she had apologies to make, then they should be made in private.

May receives her P45

During the speech, notorious prankster Simon Brodkin, alias stand-up comedian Lee Nelson, delivered a mocked up P45 to the Prime Minister shouting as he was led from the hall that Boris Johnson had put him up to it. Brodkin had previously showered ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter with money in a similar stunt.

The PM made light of the prank claiming that she would prefer to be giving a P45 to Jeremy Corbyn.

That cough

Unfortunately, Mr. May has been suffering from a cold and during the speech was overtaken by a severe bout of coughing that at one point left her almost unable to speak. She was given a throat lozenge from the Chancellor Philip Hammond and joked that it would be the first time the chancellor has given something away for nothing.

This interaction showed Mrs. May's natural side and although it was an unfortunate turn of events, she handled it well.

Disappearing letters

To add to the PM's discomfort, during the speech, letters showing the Conservative Party slogan were seen to drop off as she spoke. Nevertheless, she carried on regardless.

The Speech

The key points of Mrs. May's speech were a pledge to cap energy prices and to invest in affordable housing but sadly her speech was overshadowed by a series of events that will leave those calling for her to resign a lot happier than her most loyal supporters.