Snivelling Streeting’s Dead Cat

Whenever Labour leader Keir Starmer, or one of his ultra-loyal lieutenants, briefs a dead cat to our free and fearless press, one is reminded of a classic line from the mini-series Smiley’s People, which dates from more than forty years ago, in the days when the BBC could be relied upon to produce classic and memorable television. It comes as Smiley grills an old colleague.

He is questioning former “lamplighter” Toby Esterhase, when the latter fires back “Kindly answer me something. Who is speaking here? Is it George Smiley? Is it [senior civil servant] Oliver Lacon? Who is speaking, please?” It is a question that entered yet again at the weekend, when the deeply dislikable Wes Streeting moved to smear NHS staff by inference.

Moreover, he did so in the pages of the increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph, under the headline “Streeting vows to root out NHS anti-Semitism … Health Secretary will urge regulators to discipline doctors and nurses expressing ‘racist or extremist views’ about Gaza conflict”.

And so someone - whether Streeting himself, someone on his behalf, or one of the Tel’s luckless hacks - instantly fell foul of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, which states that criticism of Israel, as one might criticise any country’s Government and actions, is not in itself anti-Semitic. The thought also enters that Mr S may be chucking the dead cat to distract from his own shortcomings, or that someone else, whisper it quietly, may be speaking.

But let’s see what else the Tel has been told, however predictable and pathetic. “Wes Streeting has called on regulators to strike off doctors who bring extremist views about Gaza into the workplace in a crackdown on anti-Semitism in the NHS” … The Health Secretary told the Telegraph he would enforce a ‘zero tolerance approach’”. Two things here.

One, if there is to be a crackdown on anti-Semitism, it must not only exist in the NHS, but must also not be taken seriously at present. But neither Streeting, nor the Tel, does any more than cite a few personal opinions. And Two, if he’s “calling on regulators”, then it is they who take the appropriate action. So Streeting isn’t going to “enforce” anything himself.

So when the Tel says “A number of NHS medics have been reported for anti-Semitic activities … Jewish doctors in the NHS have reported a surge in anti-Semitic abuse from colleagues since Oct 7 [one assumes that is ‘Oct 7’ in 2023]”, that is for the relevant disciplinary processes to be applied, and the regulators to take decisions as a result, but not for Streeting to interfere.

Which brings us to the question of who is speaking. Is it really Streeting? Is it one of Starmer’s inner sanctum? Is it someone like, oh I dunno, Morgan McSweeney? It was the latter who has been quoted by “sources” not unadjacent to Himself as being involved in actions to discredit former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn by playing the anti-Semitism card. Rather a lot.

And why go running to the Telegraph, a title that has veered so far to the right that it now regularly gives space to Reform UK and its Oberscheissenführer Nigel “Thirsty” Farage, someone who I concluded long ago was a congenital liar, a racist bigot, and a con man? Did Streeting take that step of his own accord? Did other titles turn down this particular Dead Cat Opportunity?

If whoever is speaking is not an elected MP, then perhaps they could rectify the problem by becoming one. Meanwhile, maybe Wes Streeting, or someone on his behalf, could confirm that this apparent attempt to cause voters to Look Over There has nothing to do with what his former opponent Leanne Mohamad had just told her Facebook followers.

“I have sent a letter of complaint this week to the Electoral Commission and Redbridge electoral services outlining serious irregularities on the night of the count on July 5th in Ilford North, raising questions regarding compliance with electoral law and guidance. I have retained Bindmans LLP and specialist King’s Counsel on this issue”. Which could result in a by-election.

A by-election which Wes Streeting may well lose. I’ll just leave that one there.

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