One of my favourite plays (and films) is Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys”, possibly because I loathe one of the characters. He is a tutor brought in to coach the titular boys through their Oxbridge applications.His advice to them was to be contrarian – not necessarily because you believe it – but because it is interesting. You must find a ‘gobbet’ (a quote or phrase or thought) around which to build your essay – a piece of received wisdom or accepted truth to rebut and argue against. It might be nonsense – but it will grab people’s attention.

My hatred of this man and his philosophy has not dulled with time. But [SPOILERS] in the end, the boys are successful. He may be unlikable and cynical – but he is ultimately correct: Sometimes being controversial and deliberately standing can work.

The news events of the past week or so have shown us that approach in politics. Ketamine user Elon Musk‘s comments mis-representing the abuse of women and girls in the UK are better documented elsewhere. The more cynical would suggest that this is merely the latest shot in the “Anti-Starmer” campaign Musk has had for around 2 years…but not I…surely.

But it is how others have responded that should really shock us. The Leader of the Opposition, was up in arms about the situation. There had to be, she said, an Inquiry to find out what must be done. How shocked I fear she will be when she discovers that there has been a Report from a national Enquiry into this very matter lying about for 2 years waiting to be implemented! How livid she will become when she uncovers the identity of the Minister for Women and Equalities who should have made it their mission to implement those findings. She will surly demand their resig…oh.

Instead of that, she set a trap – which has failed, but was set nonetheless. She presented an amendment which would explicitly bring down a Bill which would improve protections for children in care; and explicitly do nothing to support victims of grooming. This was presented by her & her supporters as the Government siding with groomers and against victims. The sinister implicit “why?” being spoken allowed by certain of their number.

They have their gobbet, and all that it implies, to play politics with.

To make the narrative fit, of course – and to make it work – you require to ignore swathes of information. You have to pretend that it wasn’t the mainstream media (and a Labour MP) who raised the issue in the first place. You would have to overlook that the previous government (who could have acted at any point since the scandal was first uncovered) chose not to do so. And, most vitally, you would have to completely disregard the fact that nearly all who have had first-hand involvement in the matter agree Keir Starmer (as then Director of Public Prosecutions) made the situation better than it was and easier to go after the perpetrators of the abuse.

The fact that Jess Phillips – who is no stranger to abuse at the best of times – has been singled out by Musk for particular opprobrium, has received no condemnation from Badenoch. The fact that there have, in fact, been inquiries supported and ongoing into how this was allowed to go on for so long has not merited a mention. The fact that the Chair of the last national inquiry (which again, reported only 2 years ago) has said that we don’t need more inquiries, we need to now take action, has been roundly ignored by those screaming that we need more inquiries.

But no matter. They have their Gobbet-Politics play. “Turning facts on their heads. It’s like a game.”