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As incredible as it may seem, the closest thing Theresa May has to a friend now is Jeremy Corbyn

Ayesha Hazarika
Ayesha Hazarika

Yesterday afternoon’s news of an impending Brexit deal was the equivalent of Westminster’s waters breaking. Hysteria, speculation, hope, fear, hot water and extra towels — and that was just the Newsnight green room where I found myself with the great and the not so good. There were a lot of men and not a lot of hair but the atmosphere was fascinating.

After two years of fierce debate and bluster there was a calm, civilised, almost comradely consensus that this was a total mess. From Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg to Labour Remainer Chuka Umunna to Ian Blackford of the SNP, this appears to be a deal which pleases not a soul.

And it will struggle to command a majority in Parliament. The Lib-Dems (remember them?), the SNP plus arch- Brexiteers and Remainers in both main parties will all vote against it. There’s also a high chance that the DUP won’t back it either as it may be unhappy about the Northern Irish arrangements. The DUP is not to be messed with. Political parties have red lines — the DUP famously have “blood” red lines. This is pretty scary stuff when the naughtiest thing you’ve ever done is run through a field of wheat. Our poor Prime Minister couldn’t deliver a pizza the way things are going.

There’s only one man who can save Theresa May — the Leader of the Opposition. Her deal, her survival, the future of Brexit, the future of this country, they all lie in the hands of Jeremy Corbyn. It seems like a no-brainer that the Labour Party would oppose this deal. It’s unlikely to meet their six tests, Labour members are largely united in opposition to Brexit and opposing it would most likely bring down the PM. “What’s not to like?” I hear you cry.

The problem is Corbyn is an ardent Eurosceptic. Despite proving to be a one-man campaigning machine, he put in a lacklustre shift during the referendum and he was all for triggering Article 50 the morning after the result.

It looked like Labour had crafted a sensible and united position after its annual conference a few weeks ago which left everything on the table including opposing the deal and a People’s Vote with “remain” on the ballot paper. But looks can be deceiving, because up popped Corbyn at the weekend, declaring in Germany’s Der Spiegel that Brexit couldn’t be stopped. And late last night, shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner indicated that Labour could in fact back May, depending on the terms of the deal.

"I have admired how Labour has ruthlessly ridden two horses on Brexit — but the time has come to pick a side"

I understand that this is a hard decision for a genuine Eurosceptic and there are some Labour seats which voted Leave but it would be political insanity for Corbyn to offer May a Brexit lifeline. I, along with millions, pray that he does the right thing.

I have admired how Labour has ruthlessly ridden two horses on Brexit but the time has come to pick a side. No one voted for chaos or to become a rule-taker with no influence. This isn’t a deal, it’s a disaster.

It doesn’t pay to be a shero in the face of rage

There’s been discussion recently about how brave we are in this selfie-obsessed era. Would you walk on by or step up if the moment called?

I found myself tested just this week. I was on the bus coming home and saw a man lose it at a woman who had pushed in front of him. He started screaming vile, sexist language at her and raised his hand as if he was about to hit her.

Without thinking, I started shouting at him not to, at which point he pushed past her, came up close and started swearing in my face. His hand went up — it was terrifying. I shut my eyes and braced myself. Thankfully he turned around and stormed off the bus.

I felt sick, my heart was racing but I felt glad that I had stopped something horrible. I opened my eyes and looked around. Not going to lie, I was expecting a wee bit of gratitude — even just from the woman … Instead, about four women on the bus started yelling at me saying I shouldn’t have got involved in someone’s beef. That a woman should never confront an angry man. And a teenager complained that she was all ready to film the fight on her phone.

And then the woman I had tried to help barged me out of the way just to get a seat. Lesson learnt. Don’t be a shero. Especially on the bus.

Amy gets my vote for a walk of fame

Amy Winehouse (Getty Images for MTV)
Amy Winehouse (Getty Images for MTV)

Camden is set to honour one of its most famous residents, Amy Winehouse, in a walk of fame.

I live close to where Winehouse died and fans from all over the world still come to pay their respects because she was one of the best voices this country has produced.

A true Camden girl, it wasn’t unusual to see her in local bars and restaurants. I last remember seeing her in a tapas bar on the eve of the 2010 election. Being the big square that I am, I reminded her to vote — she just threw back her head and laughed.