Jeremy Corbyn has stopped asking questions at PMQs. The lecture-circuit now looms for the Labour leader, so he uses the Wednesday sessions to practise the Grand Orations he will soon be making to drowsy socialists in overheated conference-halls around the world. He’s unlikely to match the fees commanded by the world’s top lecture-stars, Tony Blair and Barack Obama. His performance lacks bounce or crackle. He’s incapable channelling either passion or excitement and he simply recites his bullet-points like a sleep-deprived Bingo-caller. And his jokes misfire.
Today he opened with a gag about the presenter of Just A Minute who died yesterday, aged 96.
‘Mr Speaker,’ said Corbyn, ‘can we take a minute to pay tribute to Nicholas Parsons.’
‘Take a minute’. Just A Minute. Rather a macabre pun. But Corbyn gave no hint he was making a joke so it flopped. Lucky for him. The meat of his oration contained stuff like this:
‘We are leaving the EU and the actions we take over the months and years ahead will shape our future role within the international community for years to come.’
More exciting statements have been made by teenage beginners at the Youth Parliament.
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