"So yes, the gag could have worked even better. Possibly even brought proceedings to a standstill for a couple of minutes. But it was still a landmark moment. Not just for Starmer, but for PMQs. The Commons is a notorious graveyard for wannabe comedians. A place where bad gags come to die. Where MPs discover they aren't quite as sharp and witty as they imagine themselves to be. The funniest moments in the chamber are almost invariably unintentional. Not least when members start to take themselves desperately seriously."
"Let's hear it for the joke, then. It came right at the start during Starmer's traditional opening monologue. Having addressed the serious stuff of antisemitism, Keir wished everyone a happy Christmas in his last Commons appearance of the year. And in the spirit of goodwill to all men and all women he had this advice to Reform: If mysterious men appear from the east, this time report it to the police."
Keir Starmer managed an unexpectedly successful joke at Prime Minister's Questions, provoking genuine laughter across the Commons. Starmer generally lacks comic timing, yet the gag stood out as a rare moment of humour in a chamber where jokes often fail. The Commons frequently serves as a graveyard for would-be comedians, producing unintentional laughs when MPs take themselves too seriously. The joke arrived during his opening monologue after addressing antisemitism, when he wished colleagues a happy Christmas and quipped that Reform should report mysterious men from the east to the police. Nigel Farage, however, did not appear amused.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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