Diane Abbott’s rank anti-Semitism would be deemed unforgivable by the Left if it had come from a Tory

Abbott mess

SHED no tears for Diane Abbott, whatever Sir Keir Starmer’s final, final decision on her future in the Labour Party may be.

Her rank anti-Semitism — dismissing Jew-hate as not deserving of the term “racism” — would be deemed unforgivable by the Left-wing Twitter mob if it had come from a Tory.

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Yet such is Labour’s bungling of the investigation into Jeremy Corbyn’s old chum, they have managed to make a martyr of her.

Angela Rayner — newly confident after being cleared by police and the taxman over her confusing living arrangements — has arguably made matters worse for her boss by publicly backing Abbott.

Her endorsement was as explicit as it gets and interpreted by some as a challenge to Sir Keir’s authority.

Whether any of this has a significant bearing on the outcome of the General Election is debatable.

But as with Rayner’s tax affairs, yet another internal party squabble has become a possible indicator of how a Sir Keir-led Government might operate.

As Chancellor Jeremy Hunt scoffed yesterday: “If Starmer can’t deal with Diane Abbott, how can he deal with Putin?”

Quite.

Woo blues back

POLLS must, by nature, be treated with some caution.

But YouGov’s survey revealing just EIGHT per cent of voters under 50 plan to vote Tory appears devastating.

It shows the massive job Rishi Sunak has on his hands in the coming weeks to avoid a heavy defeat.

His best campaign moments have seen him appeal to older voters with pledges on pensions and national service.

Yesterday’s announcement of a plan to slap points on the driving licences of fly-tippers was further red meat.

Some will feel it’s the kind of policy that should have been introduced years ago — though it is welcome nonetheless.

But Rishi still badly needs an offer for young families.

And it is the chunk of so-called “Blue Labour” voters who he also needs to urgently bring back into the fold.

Naturally Conservative, they have lost faith in the PM to tackle issues like crime and the small boats but remain unsure of Starmer’s Labour.

Rishi must remember their crucial votes may still be up for grabs.

No rush, Kate

KATE has always had a remarkable understanding of royal duty and sacrifice.

The Princess of Wales will have desperately wanted to be at husband William’s side for Trooping the Colour next month — and the nation is just as desperate to see her.

But nothing is more important than that she makes a full recovery.

Take your time, Kate.