The inside story of Labour’s election shock

When a snap election was called, a divided Labour sprang into action to defy predictions of a wipeout and upturn the political consensus. The key players tell Heather Stewart how it all happenedAt 10pm on Thursday 8 June, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, Jeremy Corbyn’s oldest and best political friend, was sitting with Conservative defence secretary Michael Fallon in the glare of the BBC studio lights, preparing for a long night ahead. The general election exit poll was meant to confirm