It is beginning to look like a bit of a trend this year: the Conservatives get themselves into a tight spot, only for Labour to trump them quickly. Just as the Tories seemed to be descending into a bitter leadership crisis on the weekend after the referendum, half the shadow cabinet resigned.
Now, just as David Cameron was being mauled from all quarters over the cronies in his resignation honours list (including from the presumably not soon-to-be Lord Hilton), Jeremy Corbyn has directed attention to himself by ennobling Shami Chakrabarti, formerly of human rights group Liberty.
The appointment is embarrassing three times over. Firstly, because he said last year: ‘Labour will certainly not nominate new peers for the Lords, which risks undermining its legitimacy’.
Secondly, because Chakrabarti has just finished a report into anti-Semitism in the Labour party which many consider to be a whitewash and this could look awfully like a reward for that.
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