Andy Zaltzman

don't shoot the horse midstream.

But as the other old proverb goes, don't continue to ride a drowning horse midstream.

Either way, they're getting wet.

Basically out of the frying pan into an almost identical frying pan, whatever they choose to do.

One feature that we always get whenever we have sort of political upheavals like we're going through at the moment is journalists standing in Downing Street shouting questions at politicians as they walk into and out of 10 Downing Street.

And obviously the politicians never answer those questions, but those questions still get shouted.

Are you going to resign?

Who's going to be leader?

All that kind of stuff.

And...

I think it might be time for the journalists to just try a different approach and just start shouting quiz questions instead.

Minister, what was the name of the Argentinian footballer who was sent off in the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal against England at Wembley?

Or just wild conspiracy theories.

Minister, is it true that King Charles is plotting with the army to bring down Parliament and reintroduce a proper fucking monarchy?

Or just questions such as, Minister, what is love?

And they might get more of a reaction.

Another thing Starmer struggles with is how hard it is to turn around perceptions in modern politics, particularly from

with a very hostile media.

Even the left-wing media didn't like him because he was not left enough.

He's quite a hard politician to warm to, and the right-wing media doesn't like him because he's Labour.