Jonathan Ashworth outraged Corbynites last night, using an appearance on Andrew Neil’s Channel 4 show to finally embrace Guido’s 2019 leaked recording as a means of proving he never backed Jeremy Corbyn for PM. When Guido dropped the explosive election recording, in which Ashworth claimed Corbyn wouldn’t win and the Civil Service machine would move to safeguard national security if he did, Jon was forced in real-time to concoct a story that it was just “joshing” with a mate, and that of course he didn’t believe it. No one bought it…

When Guido met him on the terrace a couple of months ago, Ashworth still seemed to be standing by his TV spin, adding that it was because of concerns over his mate’s mental health that he said those things. Last night, however, we finally saw a public u-turn, telling Andrew Neil:

“JA: He was never going to be Prime Minister… 

AN: You didn’t say that at the time!

JA: Well I did actually, that was the problem! I remember being in many newspapers having said that”

Aside from his own credibility problems, Sir Keir must find it difficult leading a charge against dishonesty in politics with Jonathan Ashworth still on his front bench…

UPDATE: Ashworth’s former mate who leaked his candid view of Corbyn gets in touch to say “The only thing he was concerned about was getting the hard-left to back him for leader!”