The Comeback Kings

by Paul Francis, with image by Martin Rowson

Time for a golden oldies track -
the Tony/Peter duo’s back
to tell their fans they’re thrilled to bits
they can replay their greatest hits.
It’s leadership that matters most.
“The party” is a fading ghost;
commitments, values, Labour’s soul?
Stuff that. It’s all about control
and their determination’s clear.
They have a bot. They call him Keir

named after Hardie. Don’t be fooled.
Tradition has been overruled
so ancient loyalties are dropped.
Support for unions has stopped,
like underdogs they backed before -
the Blacks, disabled or the poor.
Back in two thousand seventeen
some saw a future, kids were keen
but that was then; right now it’s plain
there is a swamp they need to drain.

There’s infestation, they can see:
“not-Corbyn” is their USP.
An anti-semitism purge
becomes a systematic scourge
of elements they need to lose –
and quite a lot of them are Jews.
Meanwhile, the Williams report
on Windrush gathers dust; some thought
Keir’d want to know. He turns away.
Not now. Maybe another day.

Hamas attack. When there’s a war
back the US. That worked before
says Tony. Keir adopts the line
whatever Israel does is fine.
Cut off electric, water? Good.
They’ll claim he was misunderstood
but discipline is not in doubt;
vote for a ceasefire and you’re out.
Forget about lost members, please;
they’re simply shaking off the fleas.