Comment: Rishi harks back to a true legend in Tory unity bid
In times of great need for the Tories – and this certainly is one of those – there is always one figure who can be relied upon to rally the troops.
The man who contributed more than most to the Conservatives stonking 2019 general election win, while at the same time causing untold damage to the opposition.
I am of course talking about Jeremy Corbyn, who Rishi Sunak name dropped several times during his first crack at PMQs after landing the top job.
I say name dropped. Mr Sunak didn't actually mention him by name. So infamous has he become that as soon as the words "the honourable member for Islington North" are mentioned, Tory MPs cheer and their Labour counterparts slide an inch or two into the benches.
It is not known whether Mr Corbyn was actually present, as the television cameras did not pan across to the corner of the Commons that he and his cabal of old Trots call home.
Anyway, the PM must surely realise that Jezza is not able to save his party anymore.
Ostracised by Sir Keir Starmer, his popularity is on the wane among even even his biggest fans, with his support nowadays reduced to a hardcore of teachers aged over-60 and rich kids who spend their time pouring milk onto supermarket floors.
Perhaps Mr Sunak brought him up purely out of nostalgia, a nod to a time when the Conservatives functioned under a leader who some members of the public actually liked.
Whatever his reasons, he'd already done half of Sir Keir's job for him when the pair faced each other at the dispatch box this afternoon.
Labour should have been snookered. After spending weeks droning on about the "kamikaze" mini-budget, they now faced the guy who predicted it would be rubbish months ago.
The Government's reinstatement of the fracking ban neutered another key Labour attack line.
But these Tories always come bearing gifts. This week's involved the reappointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary just days after she resigned over security breaches.
Bringing her back into the fold on the same day you promise honesty and integrity in government? To put it mildly, it's a hard sell.
Was the move down to a "grubby deal" to secure her support in the recent Tory leadership contest, Sir Keir understandably asked.
She's accepted her mistake and is the best person for the job, Mr Sunak hit back, a claim which even most of those on the benches behind him would have found hard to believe.
It pre-emptied what can best be described as a five-minute compilation entitled "Rishi's biggest balls ups".
His boast at a garden party over the summer that he had diverted cash away from deprived areas to wealthy ones was brought up.
So was the controversy over his wife's 'non-dom' status, and his pitiful leadership contest defeat to Liz Truss – who Sir Keir pointed out (in a rare laugh-out-loud moment) had subsequently lost to a lettuce.
Mr Sunak's response was to once again hark back to 'he who cannot be named', pointing out that Sir Keir had spent years trying to overthrow Brexit while serving at the evil one's feet.
What are the chances of a general election, asked Sir Keir finally, more in hope than expectation.
About as much chance of you reinstating Jez and putting him on your frontbench, Mr Sunak probably thought.
