A farewell to Rishi
FAREWELL, Rasheed Sanook. As you fly into the sunset, ensconced comfortably in your first-class seats as you hurtle towards California, you will already be fading from people’s memory.
Another strange creature created from modern politics’ peculiar mould, the mantel of statesman always sat awkwardly upon your shoulders. Parachuted into the safest of safe seats, you never showed an ounce of relatability, an iota of comprehending the average person’s concerns, or a dram of political nous.
Each action screamed awkwardness.
Whose favourite dish is ‘sandwiches’? That is the answer of a man who is too scared to commit to anything concrete, or perhaps the honest response of a six-year-old child. An election announced in the pouring rain without the good sense of having a brolly. A speech given by the dock where the Titanic was built. Abandoning D-Day remembrances to give an interview on ITV. Being content to be second billing …
The rest of this article features in our July 2024 print issue, available to subscribers.
