Dan Hodges Corbyn Smear Shame

The rush to demonise veteran Labour left-winger Jeremy Corbyn has been gathering pace among those who scrabble around the dunghill that is Grubstreet, with the hacks and pundits focusing on all those allegedly dodgy people with whom the MP has been seen sharing a platform with at events during the recent past. The ability of so many of them to have no problem with this “guilt by association” approach is most interesting.

Still considered a reputable pundit. By some

And one of those in the vanguard is the Telegraph’s not at all celebrated Blues artiste Whinging Dan Hodges, who until recently had displayed a Corbyn Twibbon, before deciding that Jezza was in fact A Very Bad Person, and so all those unfortunate enough to have to read Hodges’ ramblings at the increasingly piss-poor Telegraph had to be told that a Corbyn victory would mean the arrival of the end times for Labour.

Hodges has adopted a not only righteous, but also mildly threatening tone, Tweeting “Other thing that's terrifying is it's quite clear we're currently only scratching the surface with Corbyn and his associates”. More dirt on the way, then? But do go on. “I'm saying he provides a platform for extremists and, shares platforms with extremists. Not implying, saying”. Like the bloke who also met William ‘Ague, no doubt.

But he had genuine concerns, and top of his list was anti-Semitism. “I know you think anti-semitism isn't important. But many of us do. And we're not giving it a pass. Sorry” he lectured, going on to airily wave away anyone accusing him of conducting a smear campaign: “Of course. Since when were Holocaust denial, blood-libel and anti-semitism real issues”. Dan’s still having a problem with his question marks.

Then he went on the offensive (not difficult, I know) by demanding to know “Also, could Jeremy Corby supporters tell us which extreme Zionists he's sat down with in his tireless search for peace”. Happoel Orient took exception to this: “hi Dan, cud u stop using Jews as a political football. some jews, including supporters of Corbyn don’t appreciate ur comments”. And then Hodges lost it. Badly.

Off he wibbled: “if you want to be Jeremy Corbyn's useful Jewish idiot, you go right along”. Crass and insensitive, much? One rather wiser Tweeter observed “Odd that someone complaining about alleged anti-semitism should include word 'Jewish' in an insult”. But enough. Let’s just see what anti-Semitic things Jezza has been up to recently.

How about the official Islington Holocaust Memorial Day 2015, when it was told that “27 January sees Islington Council marking Holocaust Memorial Day with a special event featuring a personal account from Holocaust survivor Joan Salter and a presentation from Bosnian refugee Zrinka Bralo … Islington Deputy Mayor Cllr Richard Greening will open the event which will also be addressed by Council Leader Richard Watts, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Jennette Arnold AM”. So what is Corbyn denying here, Dan?

Hodges is being downright obtuse. And his petulant lashings-out are being treated strictly on their merits - or the total lack of them.