Labour chancellor John McDonnell may have provoked laughter in the Commons this week for quoting from Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book, but at least he did not defend the views of the Chinese tyrant.
The same cannot be said, however, for international development shadow secretary Diane Abbott, who told the Beeb’s This Week that were some upsides to Chairman Mao’s murderous rule when asked why people wore t-shirts with his image on.
Once tipped to be leader of the Conservatives and a potential prime minister, former defence secretary Michael Portillo now prefers to get in touch with the yoot through pastiches of N.W.A.
The, er, fruits of this can be seen below, but never unseen.
It will make no more sense in the daytime, but honestly this is #MCPortillo. Can you watch a train journey again? https://t.co/DuQ8imoRVI
— BBC This Week (@bbcthisweek) October 8, 2015
Whatever it is the folks at the Beeb’s This Week are on, it is most remiss of them not to pass it round…
Image Credit – Michael Portillo, Regent’s University London, January 2008