When I think of Andy Burnham, I’m reminded of a warning in Pirkei Avot, known in English as Ethics of the Fathers: “Be wary of the ruling authorities, for they draw a person close only for their own needs. They seem like friends when it benefits them, but they do not stand by a person in his hour of need.” The text was compiled around 200 CE. Perhaps its compilers foresaw the premiership of Andy Burnham.

Prior to the announcement of a ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Britain’s Prime Minister was busily engaged in a charm offensive towards the UK Jewish community. Here was a man who pledged to “stamp out antisemitism for good”. Clearly he believes the way to achieve that is to single Israel out as no other country is singled out — very similar to the way that the UN does exactly the same thing.

This should be the last item on the agenda for the UK government. I don’t know if it has escaped the PM’s attention, but Britain is embroiled in an immigration crisis that has the potential to cause serious social unrest if a solution is not found. The government has proved determined not to solve this problem. In fact, its efforts to tackle it amount to Net Zero. Only last weekend we saw two non-violent protests against immigration, one in Dover and the other in Portsmouth. Given the recent political........

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