Trump, alone

There has, quite rightly, been much critical comment of Jeremy Corbyn’s failure so far to make a single comment about the protests in Iran.

Not that anyone should be surprised. The Labour leader was an enthusiastic recipient of the Iranian regime’s money when he appeared on its propaganda channel, Press TV — and he has often spoken in support of it.

But it would be a mistake to pillory Mr Corbyn alone (not least because his shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, has been similarly silent). The government has also been shamefully reticent in offering its support to the protesters, saying nothing beyond a few mealy mouthed platitudes.

We know that President Obama’s refusal to offer serious backing to the protesters in 2009 was a body blow to their prospects. It is a depressing sign of how little we have learned since then that only President Trump has been prepared to speak plainly in support of the protesters. They deserve the support of everyone who celebrates freedom.

Well honoured

it is fashionable to regard honours as somehow a relic of the past but this week’s singling out of 12 survivors and Holocaust educators for an honour shows how relevant they remain.

Sadly, as time passes, there are ever fewer survivors still with us, but those who remain are, in their own individual ways, iconic.

They have all made unique contributions to British life. Some simply by being here and raising a family; some through their contribution to public life; and most through bearing witness, in schools and elsewhere, to the unique evil of the Shoah. We salute all of them.