So far, 264 CLPs have nominated candidates to be leader of the Labour Party. Keir Starmer: 154

Rebecca Long-Bailey: 70

Lisa Nandy: 28

Emily Thornberry: 12 pic.twitter.com/DPfceU7RXd — CLP Nominations (@CLPNominations) February 4, 2020

Unless LAB members vote in a very different way in the postal ballot compared with what is happening at the constituency party level or else Keir Starmer makes some massive cock-up between now and April 2nd then he is an absolute certainty to succeed Corbyn.

One thing we are seeing is a marked increase in the numbers of local parties ready to give Thornberry their backing and she looks to have a better chance of making the postal ballot than appeared the case a week ago.

The ex-DPP is now almost the presumptive next Labour leader and no doubt will be giving thought to what he will actually do in the job particularly how he will deal with Johnson who doesn’t give the impression of being accountable to anybody.

In one sense the fact that there is unlikely to be an election before 2024 will give the time for Starmer to bed down.

The betting has seen a constant rise in Starmer’s position and that can grow.

Mike Smithson