Toxic Tom hasn’t changed his spots

LATELY, Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson has been styling himself — quite convincingly, actually — as the very model of measured politics, a credible alternative to the out-and-out goons who now run his party.

But let’s not forget it was not always that way. Under Gordon Brown, Watson was a master of Momentum-style guerilla tactics — smear campaigns and hearsay — long before Jeremy Corbyn’s adoring fans were even aware that their idol existed.

But perhaps Watson’s greatest triumph was using parliamentary privilege to fuel rumours of a paedophile ring at Westminster, besmirching the reputations of several prominent Tory politicians.

Watson painted himself as defender of the weak: in truth, he was merely exploiting discredited old rumours. He created a moral panic that trashed the reputations of many — living and dead. He destroyed Lord Brittan, who went to his grave under the shadow of suspicion. And he made it seem as though the Conservatives were a party of weirdos and perverts — purely on the basis that there’s no smoke without fire.

Of course, one can argue that all’s fair in love and politics. And people do change.

But unless Watson comes clean about his motives, and apologises for the devastation he helped to cause — not to mention the millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money wasted pursuing baseless accusations — the notion of him as any less toxic to British politics than Jeremy Corbyn or John McDonnell is, I’m afraid, for the birds.