Nothing hurts Jeremy Corbyn more than being right

With Labour closing the gap on the Tories in the polls, it was only a matter of time before an act of self-immolation returned them to square one. This morning, Corbyn gave a speech in which he drew a link between British foreign policy and terrorist attacks on home soil. This will surely go down like a lead balloon with the party’s working-class base, particularly in the north of England which is still reeling from their worst terror attack in modern history. But in London and the home counties, there might be whispered recognition of the fact that Corbyn is, essentially, right, even if he’s wrong to say it.

It seems that nothing is more destructive in British politics at the moment than being right. YouGov analysis of the manifestos illustrates this: the consensus concern, as ever, is the NHS, followed by housing and wages. These are the pillars of the Labour party’s manifesto – existing only as sickly beams in the Tory offering – because Corbyn understands the subjects that really worry the British public.