"They roared, they stamped and they cheered. On Monday, the parliamentary Labour party reacted as it should when its leader hit a spot of bother. It knew it could not sack him, so it backed him. The constitution did its job and parliament supported the elected government of the day. The idea that what Britain most needs is a Downing Street conflict is madness."
"The reality was that this was exactly the sort of story Britain's hot-house politics loves: a US president, a British royal, sexual abuse, misogyny and stupefying wealth. The papers could keep it bubbling with juicy facts day after day. The 24/7 media went crazy. It could forget boring government and its issues. Yes, of course the story at root involved a disgrace, but Westminster flicks a switch and turns disgrace into national scandal. All sense of proportion vanishes."
Parliamentary Labour rallied behind its leader when he faced trouble, enabling the constitution to function and the Commons to steady the government. The Commons recovery calmed party unrest and the cabinet, with Keir Starmer quelled internal dissent. The prime minister appointed a figure with questionable associations to the Washington embassy and subsequently removed him, prompting further police inquiries. Labour has executed several U-turns on policy areas including disability benefits, winter fuel payments, inheritance tax and pubs. Intense 24/7 media coverage magnified the scandal by linking high-profile figures and shocking allegations, diverting attention from routine government business.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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