Asked about the position of Jim Keith Vaz on the Today Programme this morning, Shadow Home Secretary and longtime friend of Keith, Diane Abbott urged him to stand down, signalling this really is the end of the road for Parliament’s dodgiest MP. Abbott, who entered Parliament alongside Vaz as two of the four ethnic minority MPs to be elected in 1987, told the programme:

“I think he should consider his position and I think he himself should agree not to be a candidate.”

Abbott then went on to hint that the whip may be withdrawn from Vaz if he did not go voluntarily. Guido hears he was expecting to leave the Commons this election anyway, and has been lining up his daughter to take his seat when he steps down…