An 81-year-old as shadow leader of the house? Hear hear | Patrick Barkham

I hope Paul Flynn’s appointment to the shadow front bench ushers in new thinking in a world where youth can be prized over experienceOpportunity comes from crises and it knocked last week for Paul Flynn, the MP for Newport West. At 81, he became Labour’s oldest frontbencher since William Gladstone when Jeremy Corbyn, 67, made him shadow leader of the House of Commons.Flynn points out there are more women and minorities on the front bench than ever before (although still not enough),