Corbyn has a lot to learn from Hague’s time as party leader
WHATEVER you think about the Trumps – and The Donald’s speech to Congress was a surprise to one and all – calm, statesmanlike and, well, presidential – you have to hand it to Melania. Looks wise she hasn’t put an elegantly shod foot wrong. Each day brings another perfect outfit. If only her husband would let her get her hands on his hair. WILLIAM HAGUE is a funny man. The former Tory leader has a wry appreciation of the vicissitudes of political life. This week he wrote about his membership of a small and exclusive club, “numbering only a handful of living individuals… a club which no one wants to join and which thankfully never meets”.
He refers to the imaginary BLOC – Beleaguered Leader of the Opposition Club – whose latest member is one Jeremy Corbyn. Other alumni include Ed Miliband and Iain Duncan-Smith – and Hague says if Michael Foot were still alive, he’d be BLOC’s honorary president. For “beleaguered” we must of course read “utterly failed”. Hague failed spectacularly. He seems admirably relaxed about this and ruthlessly honest too.
“Only members of this club know what it is like to win a great victory within your party and then within a short time be asked continually whether you know what you’re doing, why you are doing so badly and when you are going to resign,” he drily observes.
That certainly sums up Corbyn’s position right now. Hague’s advice to him is to resign. The former Tory Boy reckons the longer the current dreadful situation goes on, the more the bonkers ideas of the Left will be “contaminated” by Corbyn’s failed leadership and the greater the chance they’ll be junked along with him. So if he’s really committed to the overthrow of capitalism and a post-Marxist paradise he’ll sacrifice himself for the cause.
Hmm. Unlikely. Hague says some fellow members of BLOC lived in a state of denial, aided and abetted by friends and advisers who wouldn’t advocate him quitting because that threatened their own jobs. Or worse, the beleaguered leader clung on and held their counsel of surrender against them.
Corbyn is obviously irretrievably in denial and thus irretrievably doomed. He clearly stands about as much chance of becoming prime minister as my coal-scuttle – and not just because of his useless performance. When the next general election campaign begins three years from now his quasicommunist, anti-capitalist, IRAleaning, pro-Marxist, sneeringly anti-patriotic (remember his excruciating, mumbled performance when expected to sing the National Anthem?)ideology will be horribly revealed in the Conservative campaign’s cone of searchlights.
Which is why Number 10 must be a trifle miffed at Hague’s advice to Corbyn to step down. The Labour leader is this Government’s secret weapon. The last thing they want him to do is throw in the towel. If he stays in place he’s going to hand them the keys to Downing Street until 2025 at the very least – and give Theresa May an easy ride at PMQs for the foreseeable.
And probably kill the Labour Party stone dead while he’s about it.
Is It all wRItten In the staRs?