Strong and stable

According to the Financial Times, the phrase may have originated from former Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation speech after the UK voted to leave the European Union: "stability ... strong, determined and committed leadership".

[9] During a Commons debate, Labour MP Paul Flynn sarcastically asked the chamber, through Speaker John Bercow, if a microchip had been planted in Conservative MPs' heads to repeat "strong and stable" every 18 seconds.

[14] After the election, May reportedly wanted to drop her "strong and stable" slogan because she felt it was making her look "stupid", and it was widely considered that the phrase had been overused and was becoming ever less effective.

[15] Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's coordinator for Brexit-related affairs, parodied the phrase by saying "Any Brexit deal requires a strong and stable understanding of the complex issues involved".

Ever since Theresa May first whirred into inaction as prime minister, there has only been one reliable source of strength and stability: John Crace's political sketches for the Guardian.