Every party keeps on file a list of rash things politicians in other parties have said that can be used against them at a later date.
Way back when I was directing Ukip’s 2014 European parliamentary campaign, I built up a ‘helpful contributions’ folder containing print-outs of gaffes and embarrassing admissions made by pro-EU MPs and MEPs.
Conservative Campaign Headquarters probably has at its disposal a far more sophisticated and comprehensive digital system for logging the own-goals of its adversaries. But one thing is certain, someone will imminently be inputting an entry marked something like ‘Duffield, R. – Labour’s plan to re-join the EU’.
Because Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP for Canterbury, has served up a precious New Year cargo for Tory strategists scoping out how to keep hold of the former ‘Red Wall’ seats won from Labour in 2019.
She has not merely signalled her own determination to campaign for Britain to re-join the EU – several Labour politicians have done that – but has gone a big step further.
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