For the few

In some alternative universe the Labour party, as under Tony Blair in the mid 1990s, is busily preparing for government, its confidence boosted by a massive lead in the polls over a shambolic Tory administration. Back in this one, however, Labour is crumbling even faster than the divided and unpopular Conservatives. Remarkably, while the Tories have seen a collapse in their share of the vote to just 22 per cent, according to one poll this week, Labour has sunk to just 20 per cent. Just how it succeeded in throwing away such a remarkable opportunity to seize power is going to trouble its remaining members for decades to come.

Those members will not now include Lords Turnberg, Triesman and Darzi, all of whom resigned this week after finally abandoning their struggle to fight Labour’s anti-Semitism. Triesman, a former general secretary of the party who has been a member for 50 years, said he had concluded that under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership Labour is beyond reform.