On a Zoom video-conferencing call with young Labour Party members on Friday evening, party chairman Ian Lavery repeatedly claimed that the devastating Coronavirus crisis offered “a great opportunity” for the Labour Party to advance politically. He thought he was talking privately to activists. Guido was listening in…

“By the way when something like this happens, we’re going to see lots of our own dying as a consequence. But, you know apart from that, it’s going to give the fantastic battalion of Labour Party members, community champions out there a great opportunity of showing how Labour, and why Labour, is best when it gets on the front foot and best when it gets people together.

We need to make sure that we do that, and community organising what a great opportunity it’s going to give us.“

It is an understatement to say this is beyond crass, this crisis is not a partisan opportunity, it is a global tragedy.  Lavery should be ashamed of himself, happily discussing the political benefits of this tragedy in private.

Most sensible Labour figures have been taking a critical though positive stance in the national interest. The Corbynista’s strategy to politicise this crisis on partisan lines has clearly been there to see, with left-wingers last week encouraging people chat to neighbours “using Labour’s phone banking tool“. Guido suspects this kind of unsavoury partisanship won’t go down well with the public…