It 's interesting to compare the kind of explicit hostility and mockery faced in the House of Commons by James Keir Hardie some one hundred and fifty years ago with contemporary conduct and behaviour. No doubt Sir Keir will be more "electable" than other leaders of the Labour Party, in the co-ordinated expressions of opinion from influential participants. After all, Labour politicians of the right background and behaviour can move smoothly from the party to other rather more rewarding positions, almost as if they were of the Tory Party but didn't acknowledge it.

Excellent points on the very obvious, and crude, drive to characterise criticism of a political policy pursued by some elements of a group as being equivalent to insulting that group in its entirety. Obvious, crude, useful - and allowed to be repeated incessantly no matter how often, and reasonably, the false equivalence is demonstrated and refuted. Interesting to observe the progress of things. Interesting times in which we are still for the moment living.   Exits ABCD.