YP Comment: No laughing matter for UK - Smiles despite serious situation

Mrs May welcomed the unopposed re-election of John Bercow as Speaker by wryly noting “At least someone got a landslide”. In contrast, Mr Corbyn was given a standing ovation by Labour MPs who just last summer tried to oust him with an overwhelming vote of no confidence.

The Labour leader enjoyed the opportunity to highlight just how quickly their political fortunes have changed, turning Mrs May’s own words during the election campaign against her.

“We all look forward to welcoming the Queen’s Speech just as soon as the ‘Coalition of Chaos’ has been negotiated,” he said. “If that’s not possible, the Labour party stands ready to offer strong and stable leadership in the national interest.”

But while such remarks will undoubtedly raise a smile among Mr Corbyn’s supporters, the political situation facing the nation is no laughing matter. The country remains in limbo, with Mrs May and Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster yet to reach agreement on how the intended ‘confidence and supply’ deal securing support for a minority Conservative government would work.

A failure to gain DUP support risks the Queen’s Speech being voted down but the long-term implications of such an agreement are also cause for alarm. As John Major has warned, a deal with the DUP would have dangerously unpredictable consequences for the Northern Irish peace process.

No one can confidently predict what happens next but further political earthquakes appear inevitable.

PM meets Macron - Pledge to tackle radicalisation

As Theresa May arrived in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, their political fortunes could scarcely have been more contrasting.

Back in April the Prime Minister was in charge of a government with a small, though workable, majority and riding high in the polls, while Mr Macron was the young upstart hoping to become France’s leader.

Fast forward eight weeks and Mrs May is a much diminished political figure following an unexpectedly bruising election, while the charismatic Mr Macron has been swept to power and his fledgling En Marche! party is on course to win a landslide victory following the first round of parliamentary elections.

Nevertheless, appearing alongside Mr Macron at the Élysée Palace presented the PM with an opportunity to regain control over the political agenda after what has been a chastening few days. Both Britain and France have suffered at the hands of Islamist terrorists and yesterday the two leaders stood united before discussing plans to stop the internet being a safe space for terrorists. These could include fines for social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter if they fail to remove extremist propaganda and don’t step up efforts to combat online radicalisation.

The meeting also showed that Britain and France share common ground ahead of what are likely to be fractious Brexit negotiations.

It remains to be seen whether Mrs May is “a dead woman walking”, to use George Osborne’s crowing phrase, in the meantime the onus is on her to prove she is still up to the job – after all it’s in the face of adversity that we see a person’s true mettle.

The Life of Palin - Python star’s library donation

As a member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Sheffield-born Michael Palin has left an indelible mark on British comedy. He, along with fellow Pythons Terry Jones, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and the late Graham Chapman, became household names through their unique blend of sketches and surreal humour.

Now, nearly half a century after Monty Python first appeared on our TV screens, Mr Palin has donated his personal archive – including more than 50 notebooks relating to the comedy show – to the British Library. In handing over his archive, which covers a 20-year period, he couldn’t resist a joke, saying he was making this public donation “so that future generations will know not to make the same mistakes again.”

As an actor, writer and TV presenter, Mr Palin’s career stretches far beyond comedy. The phrase ‘national treasure’ is routinely overused, however this is one of the few occasions where it is actually merited.