The signing venue was ready, the champagne on ice . The Chinese were in town, the French all set to cross the Channel , EDF having finally signed off the deal, and suddenly the bride in this case the new lady in Number 10 gets cold feet and calls the whole thing off,- for now at least.
What happened?
Probably two things.
First the projected building costs and then the very way over market rates charges needed to cover them over succeeding decades may may have given , if not nightmares, the irresistable urge to halt the seemingly unstoppable horses. Whereas the glistening eyed Osborne had been totally smitten by the Chinese apparent financial and technical offerings and on his visits to the country looked very much the innocent abroad, Mrs May is much less impressionable by guards of honour, banquets or anything else. The glistening eye is replaced by a much steelier one.
Secondly Chinese involvement in the (now dated) technology and its control throughout its life may have raised her security antennae. Who could possibly believe, as did other British government purchasers of telecommunications equipment that the whole thing would not come riddled with bugs that could be accessed by the Chinese state if they so desired. The notion that the suppliers are at arms length from the country's security or other political services is naive and stupid. There is no such separation in the way China operates.
So there we are. Despite it being a minute to midnight the lady has seized control of events and crucially the timescale. She will not be bulldozed into anything. A review lasting through till the autumn is entitrely sensible. A lot of people who had thought they could look forward to long summer holidays without a care in the world are having their illusions shattered. And no she is not another Margaret Thatcher. She is her very own Theresa May and she will do things her way.
Footnote: The unions have raised a howl of anguish about what is at least a delay (No it is not dithering).is a good sign that the decision to conduct a gross error check is absolutely right.
