Asked if she agreed with Andy Burnham’s claim that Labour would have performed better under his leadership, Margaret Beckett said:

“I like Andy very much, I voted for him when he last stood in the leadership campaign, I wish he hadn’t left Westminster but he did, and nobody drove him out, it was his choice. But I think that’s an uncharacteristically arrogant thing to have said, and perhaps a bit unwise.

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting descended into uproar last night after the group’s chair, veteran MP Margaret Beckett, called Laura Pidcock a ‘silly cow’ in the middle of the virtual conference. Upon hearing the remark, Pidcock immediately left the call, and Beckett is now facing demands from the left for her resignation. Reports claim that Beckett left her mic on ‘accidentally’, though if you believe that, Guido has a bridge to sell you…

Amongst those calling for Beckett to step down is Unite representative Howard Beckett (no relation), who tweeted:

“Of all of the Labour NECs I have attended today’s was the most depressing. The motion to recall conference was refused, no vote taken. When Laura Pidcock questioned how this could be explained to members Margaret Beckett called her a “silly cow”. Truly shocking.”

What’s hardly shocking at all is how quickly the left have pounced on the opportunity to oust Beckett as chair of the NEC. Back in November, Beckett was elected unopposed after hard-left members performed a virtual “walk-out” in protest at Starmer blocking the nomination of Corbynite loyalist Ian Murray. Now, with the cries for Beckett’s resignation growing louder, they’re finally exacting their revenge… 

Despite Labour’s NEC away day happening digitally via Zoom, 13 hard-left members performed a virtual “walk-out” of their first meeting this morning in protest, resulting in Margaret Beckett being elected unopposed as the new chair of the committee.

Laura Pidcock claims

“The left grouping were just forced to walk out of NEC meeting. The disrespect for the left is something we will not put up with. The leadership undermine governance of the NEC, censor debate & ignore our processes by doubling down on the removal of the whip from Jeremy Corbyn”

The walk-out was over an internal row between Starmer and the left of the NEC as they were told the Corbynite loyalist candidate Ian Murray of the Fire Brigades’ Union would be blocked from becoming chair. Only slightly more farcical scenes than last year’s “away day”, which took place a whole three miles away from Islington in South London…

*Image an artist’s impression.

After yet another leadership election in which every single male candidate ranked higher than the female candidates, Labour women may have been looking on the bright side that at least things can only get better. Feminists may not, however, have been too pleased to see Angela Rayner pat herself on the back during a Zoom conference last night for being elected Labour’s “first female deputy leader”. Margaret Beckett and Harriet Harman would like a word, Ange…