The number of former and current Labour figures standing wasn’t the only reason Guido was a little surprised to receive a ranty email about Elected Police Commissioners from Ed Balls in the middle of the night. While the news was breaking that Moody’s would downgrade Britain if his Plan B was adopted, Ed decided to tread on his wife’s toes at 12:37am and send out polling data showing that Labour members don’t like the move. Curiouser and curiouser.

Yvette tried her hardest but failed, to halt Elected Police Commissioners as Shadow Home Secretary. Since they became a reality, the Party have been recruiting candidates:

“Ahead of the elections next November, Labour wants to hear from a diverse range of candidates, from all walks of life, who are interested in becoming a Police and Crime Commissioner in the area in which they live.”

Guido understands that Labour’s official position is to still oppose the Elected Commissioners, though they accept that there is nothing they can do until after the next election. The Shadow Home Secretary has been rather muted as a result, while a host of Party grandees line up to serve. Yet the Shadow Chancellor isn’t letting it go:

“You want money spent on front line policing to keep our communities safe, and at the very least to save money by holding elections alongside other elections. I completely agree. I’m writing to the Home Secretary Theresa May to ask her to listen to you and reconsider her plans. I’ll be back soon with an update.”

Guido signed up to this list to receive updates about the Ed Balls for Leader campaign, and he is now using that mailing list to stir things well beyond his brief. How odd…