Tomorrow Labour will start a fresh chapter with the election of a new leader.
Whoever wins faces a daunting challenge.
Jeremy Corbyn oversaw an impressive rise in party membership, energised his supporters and led the fight against austerity.
But he bequeaths a party shamed by its failure to tackle anti-Semitism, factionally divided and in the electoral doldrums.
Moulding Labour back into an election-winning machine is going to be tough.
To overturn the Tories’ 80-seat majority will need a swing greater than Tony Blair’s in 1997.
Traditional supporters who deserted the party in droves last December will only return if they feel Labour is once more on their side.
The work to rebuild must start now.
Unite the party. Forge a forward-thinking policy agenda. Reach out to all voters.
All sides of the movement must come together behind the new leader. They should take their lead from Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey, who fought a positive campaign without bitterness or rancour.
Whoever wins today, we wish them well.
Just stay home
In the last 24 hours the NHS has lost two brilliant nurses to coronavirus.
Aimee O’Rourke, just 39, and Areema Nasreen, just 36, died doing the job they loved. Tragically, they both leave young families.
We cannot escape the awful truth that more NHS workers will lose their lives soon.
Which makes the bravery and dedication of those on the frontline all the more humbling.
Chief Nurse Ruth May paid an emotional tribute to the brave pair yesterday evening.
She was right too about the best way we can honour them: by staying home this weekend.
Not to nag, but..
Computer wizards have created a virtual Grand National so you can still enjoy a punt on the world’s most famous horse race, despite social distancing.
But remember, any money you win or lose is definitely real.
