Cunning plan proves a loser for Corbyn and May
KATE DEVLIN IT MUST have seemed like a good idea at the time.
How to attack the Prime Minister’s Brexit strategy?
Why not compare her to Blackadder’s Baldrick, infamous for regularly suggesting a “cunning plan”, which would turn out to be anything but.
That is the analogy Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attempted to draw on at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Alas, the veteran socialist failed to anticipate – or acknowledge – that Baldrick had actually passed judgment on Mr Corbyn. Not within scenes of the Ben Elton and Richard Curtis classic boxset, but the actor who played the beloved general dogsbody throughout four successful series of the BBC show.
Long-time Labour activist Tony Robinson has previously branded Mr Corbyn “inept” – at media management. So Mrs May thought she was on to a good wheeze, telling the Islington MP: “I’m interested that you chose Baldrick. Of course, the actor playing Baldrick was a member of the Labour Party, as I recall.” It was a claim too far. Mr Robinson used the social media website Twitter to tell her “Haven’t left, active member for 40 yrs. But if David Davis needs any help with Brexit Baldrick stands ready to serve.”
Earlier, Mrs May had claimed Mr Corbyn was trying to poke fun at her phrase “Brexit means Brexit”. Wags suggested it did not take much.
But after weeks of rather too many politicians making jokes of the calibre of “breakfast means breakfast”, it was left to Mr Robinson to win this particular game hands down. “Baldrick means Baldrick #pmqs,” he tweeted.
Expect to hear that one again.
Later, the SNP’s Angus Robertson asked the Prime Minister if she would pressurise Spain to refuse to refuel Russian ships headed to take part in operations in Syria. Mrs May ducked the question, although aides later said the UK had contacted Spain over the issue.
Perhaps the Tory leader was preoccupied. She managed to name her party’s candidate for West Midlands mayor twice in the fairly short verbal joust.
The election itself is not until next May.