Jeremy Corbyn has begun to look surprisingly prime-ministerial

Last year, when Theresa May first stormed to victory in a Conservative leadership contest and became Prime Minister, few could have imagined the debate that followed the Queen’s Speech going as it did. The “strong and stable” PM, her catchphrase reduced to a weak cliché, had promised to proceed with “humility”, and apologised for her conduct during the Grenfell Tower fire after entering the Commons chamber to a muted welcome.

The lack of provision for survivors was “a failure of the state, local and national”, she said, adding that as Prime Minister, she “takes responsibility”. Her tone, even when attacking Labour’s policies, was far from combative. She gave way on more than twice as many occasions as the Leader of the Opposition, and was referred to as “the interim Prime Minister” by a Labour MP. Meanwhile, her own MPs asked Jeremy Corbyn questions such as whether he would rule out a second referendum: questions one would usually only expect to be fielded by a man in charge of the country.

It is clear that Mr Corbyn, once treated as a figure of fun by Conservatives and openly mocked at Prime Minister’s Questions – who could forget David Cameron shouting across the bench: “For God’s sake, man, go”? – is suddenly being taken much more seriously. Indeed, the cries to Theresa May to “resign” from Labour MPs today must feel like a painfully ironic reminder of that moment. It does seem an age since she was able to lob insults across the despatch box at the then hapless Mr Corbyn, telling him: “I consider the issue, I set out my plan, and stick to it. It’s called leadership – he should try it sometime.” Well, he did, and look what happened next.

John Prescott, not always an admirer of Mr Corbyn, commented in the immediate aftermath that the Queen’s Speech debate had “turned into Corbyn’s first PMQs”. The snap election, which Labour did after all lose, seems to have worked as some sort of elixir on the Leader of the Opposition. He has united his party behind him and seems to have the momentum he needs to carry him to power.

His problem, of course, is that the Queen's Speech demonstrated how anxious the Conservatives are to avoid any elections in the near future, with no measures announced that could lead to disastrous parliamentary defeats for the Government and its ousting, with or without the DUP on side.

The Tories are so determined to cling to power in the face of Labour actually leading in the opinion polls that they will even put up with Ms May as an openly caretaker premier. Yet they will not permit her to take them into the next election, whenever that comes, and the process of replacing her will probably be long, cumbersome and bitterly fought.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act also makes it more difficult to call an election and to resolve the current impasse. So it is set to continue indefinitely. Besides which, there is no guarantee that the next election will deliver a majority government. Thus, just when Britain needs what might be termed “strong and stable government” to get through some formidable challenges, the political system is in stasis.

Ms May wants to get the country out the mess she admits she created, but shows little sign of having the strength and stability to do so.