Labour’s nonsensical attitude to security

For much of this election, a veil of fantasy has shrouded the Labour Party. Its manifesto is the usual socialist wishlist, rooted, as ever, more in economic hope than any realistic expectation. And its leadership is so disconnected from the mainstream concerns of the electorate as to appear contemptuous. On doorsteps around the country, activists report that the very name of Jeremy Corbyn is political wormwood.

Yet, in a curious way, the absurdity of the notion of a Labour government taking power in just 10 days’ time has worked to the party’s advantage. Those same Labour activists trying to win our support have been able to reassure wavering voters that they need not fear, Mr Corbyn has no chance of becoming PM, so it is perfectly safe to vote for the party he leads. The more outlandish Labour become, this logic runs, the easier it is to back them. This must help explain the recent narrowing in the polls, for Labour recently have been nothing if not outlandish. But, of course, the truth is that anything which brings them closer to power is not safe, but a danger to both the nation’s economy and security.

Thankfully, Labour’s leaders themselves are always on hand to make this clear. Over the weekend it was revealed that Mr Corbyn attended a ceremony at which wreaths were laid at the grave of one of the Palestinian terrorists involved in the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. And yesterday Diane Abbott appeared in an extraordinary interview in which she compared her attitude to the IRA to her hairstyle. However bizarre this intervention, the upshot was that she once again could not bring herself to denounce the terrorists, despite multiple opportunities to do so. Voters who think it is “safe” to back Labour should reflect that this is the woman Mr Corbyn wants as his home secretary in less than a fortnight.

As the election campaign gets back into full swing after the terrible terror attack last week, voters are once again being exposed to the Labour leadership’s insulting, nonsensical attitude to terror and national security. That is a good thing – and should lead to closer scrutiny of the rest of its fantasy politics. The first opportunity is tonight, when both Mr Corbyn and the Prime Minister face televised questioning. The more often these two leaders are compared, the clearer it is that there is no comparison.