Coronavirus, a new Clause IV and crucial Andrew Neil interviews

36 new cases of coronavirus were announced yesterday, bringing the total in the UK to 87. Although Boris Johnson used Prime Minister’s Questions to announce the policy of those who self-isolate being entitled to statutory sick pay from day one, rather than day four, he did not address the issue of millions of low-paid workers not being entitled to it at all. The Prime Minister simply pointed to Universal Credit – infamous, of course, for its long waiting time.

The coronavirus outbreak also appears to have sped up the collapse of UK airline Flybe. The response from Labour MPs and trade unions has been to voice concerns about the impact on regional connectivity, as well as to express solidarity with the 2,000 employees who now face a time of terrible uncertainty. Whether the government should have done more to rescue Flybe is more contentious, however: you would think Virgin as an owner should be responsible for such a bailout. There are also questions to be raised over the future of domestic flight in light of Labour’s support for an ambitious decarbonisation target.

Speaking of a green economy, leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has called for a “new, 21st-century Clause IV”. The move has already been backed by Richard Burgon, and the national executive committee last year set up a working group to explore amending this totemic part of Labour’s constitution. The particular angle adopted by Long-Bailey would focus on “recognising that socialism and environmentalism must go hand in hand”, in addition to proudly advocating public ownership.

This new policy did not come up in her interview with Andrew Neil, unsurprisingly. Rebecca Long-Bailey had the toughest time of the two frontrunners last night, and ‘committed news’ when she admitted to having worked on PFI contracts as a solicitor. She also expressed regret over not calling out antisemitism at a recent event, which took place not last year but last month.

Keir Starmer didn’t come away from the Neil interview unscathed either. When questioned over donor lists, the frontrunner stressed that his campaign was following the official process – but this fails to recognise that the calls are being made in a political environment, and not everything is a matter of closely following the rulebook. For a summary of what was said and how the interviews exposed key weaknesses in both candidates, read our full write-up.