Corbyn's Falklands plan will horrify relatives of UK dead

His view has not only angered members of his own party, but will horrify the families of the 255 British military personnel who died in the 1982 conflict after the Argentine invasion.

His remarks have, unsurprisingly, met with the approval of Alicia Castro, the outgoing Argentine ambassador in London. She warmly described Corbyn as “one of ours”.

Corbyn, and those of a like mind, seem to forget that virtually the entire population of the Falklands want to remain British, and want nothing to do with Argentina.

Some members of the Labour Party were clearly shocked to hear Corbyn’s views at a private party meeting at Westminster.

Shadow Leader of the Commons, Chris Bryant said scathingly: “You can’t make policy on the hoof over the Falklands.”

And the shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn was even more telling. He simply said: “We have not changed our policy on the Falklands.”

Corbyn seems to be making more enemies within his own party than those of his political opponents.

• The British parliament should be ashamed of itself for even considering that Donald Trump should be denied entry to our country.

England, as John Bright once said, is the mother of parliaments, yet the House of Commons, earlier this month, disgraced and demeaned itself to the gutter level of those neo-fascist university students who have, in some cases acted almost violently by gagging even eminent figures from speaking on their campuses if their views do not coincide with their own.

This is intolerance writ large, and it is scandalous that Trump, the front-runner in the Republican battle for the White House, should be treated in this way. Trump may have views that are anathema to many people, but he is no criminal – and could be sitting in the Oval Office sooner rather than later.

All right, ban known criminals, people who advocate violence or who try to brainwash others – but Trump could be leader of the free world by this time next year.

People like feminist Germaine Greer and historian David Starkey have been banned from speaking on campuses. These are people with controversial views, but they are always entertaining – and more importantly, they provoke debate, which I would have thought is what universities need.

And for politicians to downgrade themselves to such a level leaves an ugly stain on the present incumbents at Westminster.

• What good news it is that some of Britain’s money-grubbing and bullying charities, that prey on the old and the vulnerable, are to be brought to book.

The methods some of them use to raise money, by, for instance, bombarding people with begging letters – sometimes with dire results – have been condemned by MPs who say they now have a last chance to mend their often cruel ways.

Some of them have been using what are described as “outrageous boiler-room tactics” to raise cash. Charity work is now very often not voluntary, but big business with its leaders strutting around in Armani suits – paid for, of course, by unsuspecting people who want to help the deprived, not finance designer wear from Savile Row.

Prison sentences are now on the cards for charity bosses who continue to flout this warning.

I trust this will frighten them into behaving like good, honest citizens. They might even go to a charity shop for their suits.

• Here is yet another example of the political elite assuming they know best, despite the views of the people they are supposed to represent.

All but one of Australia’s premiers, led by the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, an arch-republican, say they want to abandon the monarchy in their country and go forward as a republic.

Yet, whenever members of the Royal Family visit Australia, they invariably receive a rapturous welcome from the people there.

I know that is not sound proof of anything, but it suggests that when the next referendum on the subject takes place – unlikely during the present Queen’s reign – Turnbull and his supporters may well be in for a rude shock.

The trouble with this kind of politician is they seem to be ruled by dogma, and not by what the people may want.

• Jeremy Corbyn, I am afraid, labours through Prime Minister’s question time like an old carthorse ready to be put out to grass.

Even the much-maligned Ed Miliband had more spirit about him, turning this parliamentary highlight of the week into an exciting, sometimes, raucous event.

Tory MP Stuart Andrew seemed to sum up the position. He described, the other day, the expression on the face of Corbyn’s deputy Tom Watson during the exchanges: “It is a cross between the Mona Lisa,” he said, “and the Sphinx.”

That is not the kind of reaction a public speaker wants to hear...