Labour risking its present poll strength and its traditions '“ all for dogma

The expression is to indicate that the party would accept anyone to the left of centre, whether a hard-line left winger like shadow chancellor John McDonnell or ultra-moderates (if that is not a contradiction in terms) like Frank Field.

Now Momentum, a hard-line band of activists, seem hell-bent on deselecting Labour MPs and councillors who are not left-wing enough for their tastes.

Some 30 years ago, ‘legitimate’ Labour destroyed Militant, who were adopting the same tactic.

But Momentum seem much more deeply embedded and nothing is being done about it.

Now moderates are warning traditional Labour values could die a slow death unless ruthless action is taken, but they fear nothing will be done with Jeremy Corbyn at the helm.

Lord Hattersley, Labour’s former deputy leader, is among those who have expressed anxiety about Labour’s future in the face of this threat.

The party is riding high at the moment, well ahead of the Tories in the polls.

They don’t want to lose all that by allowing dogma to take over.

• At last, someone has jumped to the defence of First Secretary Damian Green over allegations – which he fiercely denies – that he had pornographic images on his office computer.

Now, two retired police officers, who should have known better, have said they found these images in profusion during an unrelated inquiry some yeas ago.

Now, I am glad to say, these two have been slapped down by Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester and others of equal standing.

They have been told firmly that police rules about confidentiality extend into retirement and that, anyway, it is not the job of the police to concern itself with people’s morality, especially when nothing illegal has occurred, even if these disputed allegations are true.

It is a pity nothing can apparently be done about these ex-officers in a case which seemed to be turning into a witch-hunt against a senior politician.

In any event, it will be a matter for the Prime Minister, once the current inquiry is completed, regarding what, if any, action requires to be taken.

• Brexit supporters now suspect the hard-headed men of Brussels are not only trying to bully Britain over the decision to quit the EU, but in doing so are deliberately putting the frighteners on any other member state which is tempted to follow suit.

It is ironic that all those years ago, the UK had to fight like tigresses to get into the old Common Market (remember General de Gaulle’s, “Non, non, non”?), and now we are having to fight even harder to get out.

What terrifies Brussels more than anything else is that the UK’s lead might encourage other member states to believe that they would like to break loose, too.

• What a splendid Christmas present for would-be shoplifters!

Nottinghamshire Police have announced that in a bid to save money, they will not be investigating cases of shoplifting.

This follows the announcement by Bedfordshire Police that they would not be investigating such cases when the amount stolen was worth less than £100.

Surely there are better ways of economising than giving the green light to petty criminals?

To give them an open goal like this is little short of madness.