WATCH: Rebecca Long-Bailey on Flybe, coronavirus, Blair and more

Rebecca Long-Bailey talked to LBC today about UK regional airline Flybe, the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, involving Tony Blair in Labour’s future, representation of women in Labour and playing the electric guitar.

On whether the government should have considered nationalising Flybe, Long-Bailey said: “I think you would be wrong to not look at the option, and look at making a public stake in the company, but of course that would depend on the financial health of the company and the long-term outlook.”

She also criticised the delay in convening a COBRA meeting on the coronavirus, which Boris Johnson did only on Monday. She accused the government of prioritising “economic interests over people’s health”.

She said her campaign message of ‘aspiration’ was similar to the New Labour message in the 1990s, and agreed that Labour now needs the type of “renewal” delivered by Tony Blair then. She said she would talk to the former Prime Minister himself about this aim.

On the prospect of Labour continuing its record of never having elected a female leader, Long-Bailey said: “I think that would be really sad. Because we’ve got to the point now where I think it’s time for a female leader.”

Asked whether the Shadow Chancellor should be a woman, she said: “Definitely. I think we need to have diversity within the shadow cabinet.” But she would not say that she was seeking the post.

Long-Bailey also said reaching net-zero carbon by 2030 would require working cross-party and building a movement so that the government takes action before the next general election. “We need to have a concerted effort to bring everybody together on this,” she said.

Asked about the most exciting thing she has ever done, Long-Bailey replied: “I play the electric guitar. Not many people know that.” But she refused to play in public as “it wouldn’t be fair to subject people to that”.