Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked. That is a sorry end for somebody who stood as a candidate for the party leadership in an election less than 3 months ago.

I do not propose to go into the arguments over what exactly she did, or didn’t, because there is another far more important point. By saying that L-B did not measure up to the standards he has set Starmer has shown both a ruthlessness and, far more importantly, a determination to apply a key principle:  high standards of behaviour, and comment are required to be a member of the shadow cabinet.  Would that the government had the same approach rather than foisting liars, cheats, fools and worse on a long suffering public.

The stench of corruption in public life comes from the government benches; and the government benches only.