Some of us remember an enormous fuss being made by some members of the NEC when the issue of loans first came up. Indeed some of the NEC said they were going to take charge.

Where are they now?

Party members have not been told the real truth but instead have to ensure stories in the Tory press which - by their very nature - we have no idea about the truth of.

It suited some to make a big deal about openness about the party's finances a while back, now they need to do their duty to the membership and tell us what really is going on.

Most ordinary party members - myself included - are not particualrly wealthy - but many of us would, if the party really was in a desperate state, be prepared to make sacrifices to dig it out.

The alternatives - a financially destroyed Labour or a politically destroyed one - where a couple of general secretaries of big unions can dictate terms - don't bear thinking about.