Just one year ago, Jenny Chapman – who lost her seat last year and then went on to Chair Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign – made clear her plans to stand again and regain her old seat. In fact she made her plans a central plank of her pitch to elect Starmer…

“If I am to be re-elected the MP for Darlington then Labour needs a proven leader who can rise to the enormity of the challenge. We need someone who can unify our party and will have the qualities to speak for the whole nation.”

Chapman went on to be one of Starmer’s top aides in the Leader of the Opposition’s Office. Yet with yesterday’s news that she has accepted a peerage, the former Shadow Brexit Minister has clearly now given up on regaining her seat, which saw a 7.4% swing against her. Opting for the consolation prize of an unelected seat isn’t a massive vote of confidence in the boss…