Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Jeremy Corbyn – Who Had The Worst Week?

There was a time – not even that long ago – when a dodgy speeding ticket or a few rude words uttered by an MP in the direction of policeman would fuel political headlines for weeks on end.

For better or worse (but almost certainly worse), those days are over. It’s 2019, and the ante has been upped significantly.

This past week has been no exception, as Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn have vied with each other to see who can have the most terrible time of it.

SUNDAY 

It seems so long ago now, but just last weekend Jeremy Corbyn was having an absolute nightmare.

As Labour’s annual conference got underway, the party appeared to be in the midst of a meltdown. 

On Saturday, Corbyn was forced to step in to block an extraordinary attempt by Jon Lansman and the grassroots Labour group Momentum to abolish Tom Watson’s role as deputy leader. 

Then, Andrew Fisher, one of Corbyn’s closest aides, announced his resignation and ominously warned that Labour would not win a general election.

Fisher, head of policy and the author of the party’s last manifesto, revealed his plan to quit by the end of the year, according to a report in the Sunday Times. 

A memo from Fisher to Corbyn denounced the team for their “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency” in a memo seen by the paper.

Given the divisions within the party over Brexit and other policy issues, it seemed like Labour’s chaotic conference could dominate headlines all week…

MONDAY 

And Monday delivered – ahead of a crucial vote on Labour’s Brexit position, the trade unions were warning of “hell to pay”, senior MPs were demanding that Corbyn take a side and London Mayor Sadiq Khan insisted that Labour delegates refuse to support “any compromise on Brexit”.

So obviously the decision was to not make a decision at all, and Labour is now set to enter the next general election without a clear commitment to remain in the EU in a Brexit referendum.