Despite initially pitching himself as the competent, electable face of Corbynism, last night Owen Smith told Newsnight he would press the nuclear button, that there are too many immigrants and claimed Jez is unpatriotic. Good luck winning over Corbynistas with that pitch…

The Blairite former SpAd and lobbyist was never going to convince true believers he was one of them. It doesn’t help that he is backed by the right-wing of the Labour Party. Labour First, the ultra “moderate” faction run by Corbyn-hating Luke “Bomber” Akehurst. He has emailed supporters asking them to volunteer for Smith’s campaign:

Progress, the Blairite faction, has boasted that 40% of new sign-ups are Smith backers and says this gives “hope” for the future. Given Smith’s back the bomb and close the borders rhetoric last night, it’s almost as if he’s looking beyond this leadership election to the fallout after Corbyn wins…