HE WON’T NECESSARILY GO by Donal Kennedy

and nuclear bombs, deferential towards Kings, Queens, Dukes and Duchesses, Earls and Countesses.If the partner of a Countess was called a Count some of the deference

might be laughed out of court, which explains why they are called Earls.

Corbyn is not in love with nuclear bombs, nostalgic for Empire, covetous of audiences with Rupert Murdoch or whoever buys their way to the White House.  And thus he appears unqualified for an office that  customarily demands such qualities.

But it is silly to attack him for saying that if he leads his party in a general election and it doesn’t get him into Downing Street, he’ll automatically resign its leadership.

Clement Attlee led his party into the general election of 1935 and it didn’t come to power then .For the next two decades Herbert Morrison,  ( Grandpapa of Lord Mandelson)

schemed to replace him. But Attlee let Morrison scheme as he liked and led Labour to its first Parliamentary majority in 1945, and in 1950 to  a further year in government as the

largest party in the Commons.

Churchill first led his party  into a general election in 1945 and it was for them a stunning defeat. His second attempt in 1950 was also a failure. In 1951 he had his one and only victory as party leader in a general election, though his party obtained less votes than Labour.So Churchill was a two-time loser and nearly 77 before leading his party to victory.

Lord Kinnock, before being ennobled, was a two-time loser, his party having been flattened twice under his leadership by Thatcher’s Conservatives.

I’m indifferent to the personalities in  British Labour , but intrigued by attacks made on their embattled leader for refusing to answer hypothetical questions.