As Labour members seek to make sense of what happened, they must also confront the reality that some of the people around Corbyn trampled over the ideals of Corbynism. They destroyed the moral standing of a lifelong anti-racism campaigner by choosing to interpret antisemitism as a factional issue rather than a moral one. They prevented the heir to Tony Benn fulfilling his commitment to member-led democracy by seizing control of selections for themselves. They brought bullying, threats and intimidation to the office of a man famed for being kind, gentle and polite. This is an unavoidable part of the story of Labour’s failure.

The truth is that the problems Labour faced cannot be disentangled from the question of leadership. Corbyn faced a barrage of attacks – that he tolerated antisemitism, supported the IRA and other terrorists, disliked the monarchy and didn’t support the armed forces – that were more ferocious than any other party leader in living memory. But the problem with Corbyn’s leadership was not the things outside his control, but those over which he had full power. While he reaffirmed the values of social justice and helped Labour to rediscover its radicalism, he was unable to rise to the challenge of one of the toughest jobs in public life.