Labour CANCELS live unveiling of the party’s new leader next month over coronavirus fears

Labour today axed a live event where Jeremy Corbyn’s replacement as leader was due to be revealed, over coronavirus fears.

The party said a special conference due to be held on April 4 had been cancelled, along with the remaining hustings events.

Outgoing shadow chancellor John McDonnell raised the prospect this morning of the event, due to be attended by hundreds of party members and journalists, being scrapped. 

And it was confirmed this afternoon that it would not go ahead, along with local party conferences in Wales and Scotland.

A party spokeswoman said: ‘The results of the leadership and deputy leadership elections will be announced at a scaled back event on the same date and we are now considering options for what form that event will take.     

Three MPs are in the running for the vital post; shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer (centre), shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey (left) and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy (right)

‘This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Our priority is the wellbeing of our members and staff, and ensuring we fully contribute to the collective effort to protect public health.

‘We are considering whether upcoming constituency meetings should go ahead and will keep our members fully informed.’    

Three MPs are in the running for the vital post; shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy.

Mr McDonnell told ITV that the event could instead be shown on social media or on television only, but that it would be a decision for the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

Boris Johnson is ramping up Britain’s response to the coronavirus crisis today amid calls to shut schools, cancel sporting events and urge everyone to work from home.

The PM is chairing the emergency Cobra committee later where the UK’s tactics will shift from ‘containing’ the killer disease to merely ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread. The UK death toll hit eight yesterday. 

However, ministers will not follow Donald Trump’s dramatic overnight move of closing the borders to travellers from mainland Europe. 

Oval Office address: Donald Trump finally addressed the nation about the coronavirus crisis from the White House on Wednesday and banned all travel to Europe

The signs are that they will instead ask those with a cold to self-quarantine, and urge vulnerable elderly people to stay indoors.

There are claims that schools have been ordered to prepare for closures that could last a month. But calls for the closure of other public spaces and the cancellation of major sporting events – as has happened in other countries – look to be some way off. 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who yesterday unveiled a huge £30billion Budget package to ‘vaccinate’ the economy from the impact of coronavirus, today dismissed the prospect of the UK following the US example.

‘The advice we are getting is that there is not evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. ‘That is why we have taken the decisions that we have.’ 

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has hinted that the UK will not impose heavy restrictions yet, and swiped at political leaders who do not ‘follow the science’. 

In comments made before Mr Trump’s announcement, he said many leaders were ‘under a lot of pressure to be seen to act’.