The launch of LabourList’s new look

The biggest news of the weekend: LabourList has a fresh look. Yes, we’ve redesigned the site, which should now work smoothly on mobile and be much easier on the eye. I know some readers will be disappointed by the decision to remove comments – I’ve already received emails to that effect – but we think it is best to move the conversations on to social media and other forums. Informative contributions on the details of local meetings and parliamentary selections were very helpful, and my inbox is still open to those messages, but too often the exchanges below-the-line became unpleasant and unconstructive. We don’t have the resources to moderate them.

Instead, LabourList will engage with readers via means such as surveys. Our latest has offered interesting results. Readers chose Jeremy Corbyn, followed by Yvette Cooper and Keir Starmer as their top Labour MPs, which would suggest high-profile backbenchers can compete with shadow cabinet members in popularity, and that Brexit played a big role in determining answers. As expected, it indicates our readership is largely pro-Corbyn, pro-EU. The majority of readers also said Labour’s Cooper amendment rebels should resign or be disciplined in some way, although no shadow ministers have been, and that Labour should launch a fresh consultation of members on Brexit. Click here for the results in full.

It’s been a bumper weekend of political rumours we’ve heard before: apparently Theresa May is going to call a snap election (in June) and anti-Brexit MPs are splitting off to form a new centrist party. But in the immediate term, Westminster is still talking about the latest news affecting May’s chances of getting a deal through parliament. Labour Party chair Ian Lavery used an exclusive LabourList piece on Friday to tell MPs that taking the Prime Minister’s “bribe” – cash for their constituency – in exchange for a Brexit deal vote “would be fool’s gold”. John Mann aside, it’s certainly provoked a backlash from Labour MPs who say they “cannot be bought”. A serious misstep from the Prime Minister, who will have to do better than that to get rebels on board.

Sienna @siennamarla