Telegraph, Wednesday 14th October 2015
The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, tried to explain why he’d made a sudden U-turn on his economic policy – a mere fortnight after he promised Labour party conference that he would join George Osborne in committing to run a budget surplus. “I suppose I should deal straightforwardly with the issue of the U-turn,” he began. “Yes, two weeks ago I recommended that Labour MPs should vote for [the Government’s] charter – and today I’ll be urging them to vote against!” The Tories were in stitches. Thighs were slapped. Sides were held. The Government benches were a wriggling hullabaloo of cartoonish hilarity. Valiantly Mr McDonnell tried to make himself heard. For Labour’s sake, it might have been better if he hadn’t. “Embarrassing!” he admitted, loudly. “Embarrassing! Embarrassing!” He kept shouting it, anxious to be heard above the din. “Embarrassing! Embarrassing! Yes, of course it is! But…”
