It’s hard to hold anyone responsible for anything today in British politics. That’s because no sooner have the facts emerged than everybody in Westminster has played another game of musical chairs. If the word ‘amusing’ can be used in the same paragraph as ‘attempted beheading’ allow me one amusing example.

Last month, a 30-year-old asylum seeker from Sudan allegedly attempted to behead a local man on the streets of Belfast. The attack was apparently caught on video. Everyone was geared up to make their points. The left was preparing to argue ‘So you’re saying all asylum seekers are beheaders, are you?’, while the right was gearing up to say: ‘We must hold people accountable.’ Then it turned out that at the time our lovely Sudanese import had been fast-tracked into the country, the home secretary was Suella Braverman and the immigration minister was Robert Jenrick.

After the death of Widdecombe, Mahmood warned against ‘speculating’ on potential motives

After the death of Widdecombe, Mahmood warned against ‘speculating’ on potential motives

The unfortunate fact that the Belfast suspect entered the country as Braverman and Jenrick were serving in a Tory government (both later defected to Reform) meant that neither the Tories nor Reform could make any political capital over this ghastly case. That is the way of our present politics. Historic immigration wave? Don’t worry, that’s five years and four prime ministers ago.

Which brings me to someone who turns out to be a relative constant of British politics: Shabana Mahmood.........

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