There is a broad consensus that the Labour Leadership race has dragged on for too long, with almost a month before the result is announced on April 4. John McDonnell even said over the weekend that “if there’s a lesson for the future, let’s have shorter leadership elections in the future.” So just how unusually long is this election?..

Guido has crunched the numbers of the Labour leadership elections in the last ten years, and the results surprised him. From the close of nominations to announcement of result, the last four elections lasted…

• 2020: January 13 to April 4 (82 days)
• 2016: July 21 to September 24 (65 days)
• 2015: June 15 to September 12 (89 days)
• 2010: June 9 to September 25 (108 days)

Labour’s 2020 leadership race is actually the shortest of all of them other than the abortive attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn with Owen Smith in 2016. Guido has a suspicion that this one just feels longer because all the candidates are so second rate and we can all guess the winner…