Steerpike

If there’s one thing Jeremy Corbyn does not like, it’s being hassled by journalists. The Labour leader was filmed yesterday refusing to answer questions about Ken Livingstone’s remarks before he managed to give the camera crew the slip. He's also been filmed walking through Westminster keeping quiet whilst journalists try and persuade him to answer questions. And earlier this month, Corbyn did not take kindly to a reporter from LBC doorstepping him following the row over David Cameron's tax affairs. On all of those previous occasions, he's managed to make a quick exit. But his attempts to do the same earlier today were thwarted – by a locked door. The grouchy Labour leader tried to give a Sky News reporter short shrift, saying only ‘Goodbye’.

Although Ken Livingstone has done his best to steal Ed Balls's thunder today, it's important to take a moment and remember what April 28 is really all about. Today marks the 5th anniversary of Ed Balls day -- the day the former shadow chancellor accidentally tweeted his own name. Five years on and a lot has changed for Balls -- and Labour. Happily, now he is no longer an MP -- let alone a shadow Cabinet member -- Balls seems to have a lot more time on his hands, which would explain why he has made himself a cake to mark the occasion.

Just when you thought things couldn't look much worse for Labour's Naz Shah, Ken Livingstone arrives on the scene. After Shah apologised several times today for sharing anti-Semitic posts on social media, she has finally been suspended. However, not everyone appears to see what the big deal is. Popping up on LBC, Red Ken offered Iain Dale his take on the situation. The former London mayor said that he would not describe Shah's comments on social media as anti-Semitic: KL: What she said was over the top and offensive, it wasn't anti-Semitic. ID: Well it was anti-Semitic, everyone seems to agree that it was anti-Semitic -- even Jeremy Corbyn seems to admit that KL: Well, I don't think it is. It's a bit of criticism of Israel and Israel supporters.

Although Nicola Sturgeon puts her career in politics down to Margaret Thatcher, she scarcely has anything positive to say about the Iron Lady. In fact, the SNP leader says that she entered politics as a result of her anger at the impact of Thatcher’s politics on Scotland. Still, she appears to have no qualms about borrowing one of the methods Thatcher used to help ensure success at the polls. The SNP's latest election advert bears the slogan 'don't just hope for a better Scotland, vote for one'. As Scottish Labour have since pointed out, this bears a strong resemblance to Thatcher's 1979 election slogan, which read: 'Don't just hope for a better life. Vote for one.