Three of the most vocal Labour MPs sticking up for the Co-op are the ones who have had their pockets lined by the group. Ed Balls isn’t giving back that £50,000 cash bung, though he did his best to repay them in kind by loudly asking if Cameron had ever done cocaine at PMQs.

Balls has once again sent out poor little Chris Leslie to fight his corner this morning. The deeply unimpressive Shadow Chief Secretary tried to spin with a straight face (and fear in his eyes) that “there are now serious questions for George Osborne to answer about how the Co-operative Bank got into trouble on his watch”. The Co-op have given Leslie’s local party £3,040 in the last two years. More of a wet fart than a bang for their buck.

Co-op MP Jon Ashworth fresh from paternity leave has penned an article defending the mess. It goes without saying that he is also in their pay. Labour owe the Co-op millions so should be glad the group are only calling in favours rather than the actual cash.