Hilary Benn’s speech on Syria could transform Labour | Martin Kettle

The shadow foreign secretary’s electrifying speech not only gave Labour MPs permission to vote for extending military action, it also positioned him as a serious leadership challenger

Beware the instant theatrical excitement of the great parliamentary moment. Always read the health warnings before swallowing the claims about the House of Commons at its best. Real politics isn’t a Spielberg movie about slavery, or a West Wing episode, in which a great speech changes history and the credits roll. Real politics is mostly one damn thing after another – a big Commons vote, a shabby reselection campaign in Walthamstow, a lousy byelection result in Oldham.

Yet Hilary Benn’s speech at the end of the Syria debate on Wednesday night was politically elevating all the same. It was riveting as he delivered it in real time on the night. It was still compelling when replayed in the cold light of morning. It was calm and without pomposity. And over the allotted 15 minutes it led unerringly to a climactic argument – that the right thing to do in Syria is to stand up to Islamic State’s fascism.

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