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Will the BBC election debate prove ‘a bridge too far’ for Corbyn?

Oh dear. Although a YouGov poll out today suggests a hung Parliament is a very real possibility in this election, Mr S suspects that some Corbynites are still getting slightly ahead of themselves.

With Jeremy Corbyn making a last-minute decision to take part in tonight’s debates, Paul Mason has taken to social media to praise his comrade’s decision. The former Channel-4-economics-editor-turned-revolutionary tweeted a video clip of the wartime film A Bridge Too Far. In this, Lt. General Horrocks — played by Edward Fox — briefs his XXX Corps on Operation Market Garden:

‘Now, gentlemen, I’m not saying that this will be the easiest party that we’ve ever attended, but I still wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

However, there’s a problem. The film tells the story of the failure of Operation Market Garden during World War II. Although the plan was to enable the Allies to break through German lines and seize several bridges in the occupied countries, the operation failed.

Surely, Mason isn’t suggesting that Corbyn, like Lt. General Horrocks, has gone a bridge too far?

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

This article originally appeared in the UK edition

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