QUENTIN LETTS: With her genius for making things explosive, Suella could sell ... trends now
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Labour MPs groaned and hissed the moment that Suella Braverman was called to speak during a discussion of Gaza. Mrs Braverman (Con, Fareham) was further ya-booed when she said that Israel should be allowed to 'finish the job' in its war with Hamas. Cries of 'shame' and 'disgrace' and 'finish the job!' volleyed from the Labour benches.
It is a fact universally acknowledged that Suella has a genius for making things more explosive. She should sell sparkplugs for a living. Even so, the reaction to her very presence was unusual and it felt performative.
This was explained when the Speaker invited George Galloway (Workers' Party, Rochdale) to ask a question. The reaction from Labour MPs was now very different. No one groaned. No one hissed or sucked their teeth. They went utterly still, as hartebeests will when a predator is in the vicinity. Mr Galloway frightens them.
Labour MPs groaned and hissed the moment that Suella Braverman (pictured) was called to speak during a discussion of Gaza
Mrs Braverman (Con, Fareham) was further ya-booed when she said that Israel should be allowed to 'finish the job' in its war with Hamas. Pictured: An Israeli soldier near the Israel-Gaza border
Cries of 'shame' and 'disgrace' and 'finish the job!' volleyed from the Labour benches. Pictured: Smoke rising from buildings in Rafah after an Israeli airstrike
That may account for the tone in the Commons yesterday. When Hamas terrorists attacked Israel last October the parliamentary Labour party made great show of being even-handed towards Israel. Sir Keir Starmer pointed to this as evidence of his 'changed party'.
Little now remains of that position. The opposition parties today are in an anti-Israel competition. 'We Labour lot hate Netanyahu.' 'No you don't, we Scots Nats really hate him and have done so for longer.'
In the chamber Mr Galloway does not wear his trademark fedora hat. This is confusing, for he and Liam Byrne (Lab, Hodge Hill) are ringers: same height, same baldness, same scrofulous stubble. Okay, Mr Byrne was wearing pink socks, which might be open to unfortunate
