SAVVY political analysts often refer to “the Overton Window” these days.

Like many ideas that first sprung up in the United States, this once-obscure poli-sci buzzword has floated across the Atlantic – like triangulation and third-way politics – and is now routinely tossed about by talking heads to explain everything from the rise and appeal of Donald Trump to why Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Politico described it as the “go-to nerd phrase” of the current political era.

And not wanting to seem gauche, Britain’s ­professional politics-understanders have enthusiastically incorporated the idea into their patter, such that the average TV ­talking head doesn’t even feel the need to define their terms anymore.

It’s become one of those shibboleths that demonstrate you’re a political insider – ­savvily explaining how savvy politics works to unsavvy saps like you and me on behalf of the sensible centre, and whatever ­punishing and unpleasant political idea has been decreed sensible, reasonable and ­moderate this morning.

But something curious happened in the transplantation of this idea from American to British politics.

Radical's toolkit

A concept which began its intellectual life as part of a radical’s toolkit for thinking about how to shift public ­opinion towards what were one perceived as extreme positions has become the ­latest pseudo-intellectual justification for the cowardice and capitulation of the Labour leadership on everything from taxation to immigration, asylum and crime, defence and the role of business in the NHS.

It’s become a pompous way of living with the cramped moral parameters of what Britain’s ideological reactionary and often astonishingly unrepresentative media is prepared to countenance.

Like much else in British politics, it is saturated in ­cynicism masquerading as right-thinking, lack of ­ambition redecorated as sensible politics, and used to justify the ­proposition that nothing can, should or must change, ­whoever happens to be in control of ­Downing........

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