Labour thinks the answer to its problems is yet another mediocre man

Almost half of Labour members will not give Jeremy Corbyn their first preference in this leadership contest. But with Owen Smith as his challenger, many will drift away from the party altogether

Angela Eagle pulled out of the Labour leadership race to offer her support to Owen Smith (pictured) in an attempt to oust Jeremy Corbyn (AFP/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Theresa May is at the despatch box, looming and booming in a manner that can’t help but bring old Maggie to mind; the Scottish First Leader, Nicola Sturgeon, is guiding her country through delicate negotiations over its place in the EU and the UK; in the US, Hillary Clinton is almost guaranteed (one hopes with fervour) to be named the victor in the November presidential election, making her the first woman to ever lead the free world.

According to the popular refrain, what we’re witnessing is the women cleaning up the mess that the men made. But back in Westminster, among the official opposition? Not so much.

Let’s not dress it up: the Labour Party is in deep crisis. To say that the Labour Party machine was designed by one Mr H Robinson would be complimentary, perhaps in the extreme. So the anger and frustration at its inability to organise and hold the Government to account, simmering below the surface for six years already, was inevitably going to burst out under the divisive leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The EU referendum should have been the catalyst for the lancing of the boil, but though Hillary Benn sounded the first alarm, from that point on the party has conducted itself in whispers. Once again, it took a woman to sort things out – but now she’s been forced back on to the sidelines again.

To be transparent, I certainly do not believe Angela Eagle offered a simple way out of Labour’s identity problems. She splits her party, her support for some of the more poorly-received aspects of Blair’s agenda leaves her exposed, her dithering over whether and when to stand against Corbyn left a sour taste in the mouths of those looking for an immediate – brutal, even – change of direction, and she faced some serious presentation issues, too (though, if Thatcher’s political career was anything to go by, there’s nothing that a bit of intensive voice coaching wouldn’t solve).

But like the other women rising to the top of British politics, she did present a challenge and she did offer a change. Owen Smith, the challenger who saw off her candidacy, offered no such opportunity. In the meantime, women in the Labour movement who have spoken out – whether about Corbyn’s leadership or their support for New Labour or any other “wicked issue” that’s tearing the party apart – has faced abuse, from Twitter trolls to physical attacks. Eagle, remember, had to protect her office staff after a brick came through her window in protest at nothing more than her leadership candidacy. This did not happen to Smith.

The race was close run but, in the end, Eagle dropped back because the Labour Party still cannot bring itself to rally behind a woman.

Once again, Labour is behind the pack. It believes its answer is another mediocre man with neither of the twin benefits of experience nor charisma. Smith’s policy platform is being interpreted as a return to Milibandism – recent history tells us that’s not a great idea, either. And despite being male, he has some of the same presentation issues as Eagle; his tone does occasionally border on the whinge.

To recap: the Conservative Party is now on its second female Prime Minister; Labour has not yet managed to achieve a single female leader, in opposition or otherwise.

The purpose of this leadership contest was to refresh the party. Corbyn is, at last assessment, still enjoying a 20-point lead and 54 per cent said he would still receive their first preference. But that leaves 46 per cent who would not, and many of them may now drift away from Labour altogether. Many of these are the energised young Corbynites of less than 10 months ago, who now see that Corbyn is failing them but want another option that isn’t just “more of the same”. Underestimating how demoralising this is for the general membership, and in particular to the young female membership in their late teens, twenties and early thirties, is a mistake.

Eagle contesting the leadership against Corbyn would not have resolved her party’s crisis, but the message that Smith’s candidacy sends out only adds to the rotting stench coming off the party. Labour is past its best.