So, BBC News and radio appear to be working like ants when their nest is disturbed to talk down Labour’s poll surge and Jeremy Corbyn’s speech this morning, which will highlight the impact on our safety of Theresa May’s constant cuts to police and emergency services.
BBC News had a whole panel of pundits this morning and every single one was keen to write off the significance of Labour’s huge polling improvements since the General Election campaign started – and they, along with the channel’s political reporters, painted Corbyn’s speech as risky. Of course, they might not recognise what it actually is, as it’s been in short supply in UK politics for a long time.
It’s called leadership.
BBC radio presenters were taking a similar line – but inconvenient callers kept saying May’s police cuts were driving them from a lifelong habit of voting Tory into the arms of Labour. After all, Corbyn warned May 18 months ago of the risks her cuts were creating – and then warned her again just 7 weeks ago:
7 weeks ago, Jeremy Corbyn told Theresa May he was worried about the 20,000 cut in the number of police. #BBCqt pic.twitter.com/grQTblVAba
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) May 25, 2017
Leadership means telling people uncomfortable truths – and not ducking issues and responsibility.
Someone should mention that to Theresa May who, meanwhile, is off in Europe at a summit where she’ll tell national leaders the ‘war on terror’ is switching to online. In other words, police cuts don’t make us less safe – what we need is more government snooping. ‘Big Sister’ looms large.
You have to give the Establishment credit – it knows its attack lines and is clinging to them desperately. But people are seeing through it now – seeing the nakedness of the Establishment Emperor through its imaginary clothing of solidity and competence, seeing the self-interest, callousness and, lately, panic underneath.
Corbyn’s speech is leadership. Theresa May is terrified and knows the chickens of her arrogance are coming home to roost.
The economy, security, Brexit and Britain’s place in the world – with every speech Corbyn makes more clear that he and Labour are the ones this country can trust.
Not the weak-and-wobbly, slash-and-burn Tories and their hapless figurehead.
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