Moderate Labour MP Wes Streeting has asked the Leader of the House to investigate a covert recording of a meeting of Labour MPs with “trade union leaders”. David Lidington says he is going to probe this breach of parliamentary rules. In theory if the spy is identified they could be found in contempt of parliament and imprisoned in the cellroom by the Serjeant at Arms…

This is all related to Len McCluskey‘s fight for the leadership of Unite with Gerard Coyne. Their enmity dates back to a move reminiscent of a Stalinist show trial to implement ‘people’s justice’, with McCluskey disciplining his leadership rival, Gerard Coyne, as a punishment for addressing a group of Labour MPs in parliament “without permission”.

McCluskey gave Coyne a “final written warning” for speaking at an event held in parliament by Labour for the Common Good. The continuity New Labour group founded by Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt is an organisation that McCluskey says does not fit with “Unite’s political vision”. Following the disciplinary hearing McCluskey found that Coyne was guilty of a breach of trust and gave him a final written warning. The evidence at that disciplinary hearing was based on a recording…