Diane Abbott doesn’t understand fascism

Diane Abbott believes that Giorgia Meloni is a ‘literal fascist’. That must come as a surprise to the 12.3 million voters who elected her prime minister of Italy two years ago. Not to mention King Charles, who hosted Meloni at Blenheim Palace in July.

The Right Honourable Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington described Meloni as a fascist as Keir Starmer jetted to Italy this week to meet the country’s leader. ‘What does he hope to learn from her,’ asked Abbott. Perhaps the British premier would like to hear how Meloni has this year reduced immigrant arrivals on Italian territory by 65 per cent.

Meloni has accomplished this feat by doing deals with countries such as Tunisia and Albania to help reduce the trade in human trafficking. In the case of the latter, Italy will foot the €670 million (£560 million) bill for the asylum processing centres that will be built in Albania to examine the claims of those wishing to settle in Europe.