Every single time you feel you have reached the absolute limit of contempt for Starmer he obliges you to recalibrate your measuring apparatus. We just have to accept that he will sink lower than supporting Israel’s right to starve Palestinians and endorsing Yankee gangster imperialism’s crimes in Venezuela. We just don’t know quite how yet. You can watch him saying words here at 27 minutes in, though I would advise having a bucket nearby.

So, it was a mighty relief to sit through some of the hustings for three Green election hopefuls shortly after enduring that, just to be reminded that there is more to the human race than cynical, grovelling, empire worshipping careerists.

One of the features of a real mass movement is that all sorts of excellent, idealistic people you did not know existed live quite close to you. It takes something like the Corbyn movement or the current growth of the Green Party to pull them together. Last night I encountered three of them for the first time and it was exactly the antidote needed after two minutes of Starmer.

This is the third series of council election hustings I’ve been through in recent years. The Labour Party version involves someone you struggle to put a name to mysteriously getting hold of your phone number and inviting you for a cup of tea. You will be reassured that despite any discernible evidence they are actually really radical and they will promise to be a hard worker. Not a single political idea will be expressed. In many cases this is because they don’t have any and are more interested in the money and some pitiful notion of prestige. The ones with political ideas know it is probably best not to express them if they want your vote. “Oh yes, I am a member of Labour Friends of Israel” can be a bit of a turn off.

By contrast, the three young Green Party members who were subjecting themselves to scrutiny all argued from questions of principle. Two said they quit Labour due to the party’s support for genocide and the third is very active on the issue of Palestine. One described himself as anti-imperialist due to his family’s background in Cork and he seemed very proud of the county’s role in the War of Independence. As one of the few people in the area to wear a Tom Barry T shirt when it’s warm, I heartily approved of this. For those of us who can read between the lines in these matters, his views on the occupied six counties of the north of Ireland seem sound too. To my certain recollection, two described themselves as socialists and it is unlikely the other would demur from the label.

It is obvious for anyone with eyes to see that in Britain the youth radicalisation which has been stimulated by Palestine and Trump’s gangster imperialist regime is being politically expressed through the Green Party. The utter revulsion that progressive young people have for Starmer, Streeting, Reeves etc and whatever Starmerism is has resulted in Labour losing much of its mass base. What is different this time is that people have found an alternative and are willing to get active in it.

It is a very rare thing to feel uplifted and enthusiastic after an online meeting. However, my hunch is that what I experienced last night is happening everywhere election candidates are being chosen. A new radical political leadership is being created. It is a beautiful thing to see happen.