Where do we stand on... ...Unresigning

Don’t pretend it’s never crossed your mind. A “stick it where the sun doesn’t shine” speech to the boss, before high-fiving your coworkers on your way out.

But quitting your job is a lot like adultery – a bit of fun at the time, but harder to undo when things unravel.

Yet that’s what the Labour MP Sarah Champion (above) has done, having resigned from Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet less than a month ago, before asking for her job back this week. Corbyn has duly restored her to the role of shadow minister for preventing abuse and domestic violence.

Of course, Nigel Farage is an old hand at the art of “unresigning”, leaving the Ukip top job before returning to it on not one, but two occasions.

Dr Anna Topakas, lecturer in work psychology at the University of Sheffield, says that dynamic modern workplaces make unresigning easier. But if you are going to do it, you’ll first need to have left amicably and, secondly, have kept up with developments.

Champion’s resignation as part of a vote of no confidence wasn’t a great start in the amicable leaving stakes, but at least it gave her a ringside seat at Labour’s implosion.

All that aside, is it ever a good idea to go back to anything you have left? Isn’t the old adage true: that you left for a reason – and chances are that reason is still there? “I don’t think that is true,” says Dr Topakas. “My advice is leave, but don’t burn your bridges.” Situations change, you may need that bridge to cross again.

Of course, in most cases unresigners would get short shrift. As a rule of thumb it’s best to resign only if you mean it, stick by your decision and move on. That said, nobody would be surprised if Ukip’s upcoming leadership ballot had “Farage” on it.