'Loony' ideas prove a hit with Corbyn

Has Jeremy Corbyn been craftily delving into the archives of the Monster Raving Loony Party and cherry picking their ideas?

The Opposition leader recently announced that if Labour win on June 8, St George's Day (April 23) will become a public holiday.

But as Loony leaders have pointed out, they pledged to do precisely that some years ago.

A spokesman said: "This is a policy that we proposed many years ago. If we ruled you would already be having that day off. Once again the other parties are using our policies, many years after we proposed them. This happens all the time.

"The conclusion is clear, vote Loony for yesterday's policies... tomorrow" - if you can make head or tail of that last sentence.

Meanwhile the Loonies plan to challenge the Prime Minister in her Maidenhead seat. The candidate rejoices in the name of The Howling Laud - the pseudonym for the party leader Alan Hope.

Happily there appears to be no shortage at this election of parties and candidates with idiotic names, to give us all a smile.

A few years ago, some po-faced MPs tried to eliminate these "frivolous" candidates by demanding an increase in the deposit candidates have to pay. Although they succeeded in doing this, it all blew up in their faces because, oddly, there were more than the usual crop of such candidates at the following election.

Names we will see on ballot papers on June 8 include: Baron Von Thunderclap, Sir Dudley the Crazed and Baron Badger.

And unworldly parties who have recently fought (and lost) have included: The Al Zebebist Nation of Ooog Party, The Beer, Baccy and Scratchings Party, the Children of the Atom Party, and the Give Me Back Elmo Party.

No wonder the traditional solemnity of election returning officers, who have to read out these names after the votes have been counted, sometimes gives way to uncontrollable gales of laughter. Long may it continue.

What on earth will mother think? Award-winning actress Glenda Jackson was, until 2015, a sizzling firebrand of the left as a Labour MP, sometimes being as hostile to her own party leadership as she was to the Tories.

But now she has learned that her son, the political commentator Dan Hodges, who since he became eligible has voted Labour on every possible occasion. But this time, he seems to have given up on Labour and has proclaimed that he will be voting Conservative.

Hodges said: "That Corbyn's leadership has been an unmitigated disaster is no longer open to debate."

Not a man to mince his words.