With the fallout from yesterday’s Rebecca Long-Bailey sacking still blowing up, a now-deeply ironic video has emerged of Starmer calling for unity within the party, just 18 hours before causing the Labour left to reignite the ongoing internal Labour factional war.

“I strongly felt after the election that we the Labour Party lost in December, that we needed to unite our party. I could just see that the Labour Party… was taking lumps out of each other, was divided and that we’d just lost and election badly and we needed to pull together as what I think could be an unstopable political force if we stopped fighting each other.”

Starmer also said he was “really pleased I’ve got Becky and Lisa in my Shadow Cabinet”…

Corbynistas have now spent over 12 hours refusing to listen to Starmer’s request to stop taking lumps out of each other. Sir Keir has finally agreed to a meeting with leftwing backbenchers this morning, after point-blank refusing one yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, the usual suspects have joined the crowd vocalising their fury at Starmer, including Len McClusky, Ian Lavery, and Zarah Sultana. Momentum also sent out a membership email, saying:

“In the leadership election Keir promised to end factionalism and unite our party. Today he broke that promise.”

Skwawkbox is far-fetchedly claiming (praying) the wheels are in place for a left-wing leadership challenge. Didn’t they used to say it was disgraceful for members to be attacking a Labour leader with an overwhelming democratic mandate…

The question remaining is who will be Long-Bailey’s replacement, and will they be from the party’s right or left. Starmer’s pick will be the truest indication of whether he wants to mollify or crush the Marxist left…