Labour’s worst election defeat for 84 years was a fitting denouement to the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Since the electorate delivered its contemptuous verdict in December, the party has made great strides towards both decency and electability.

But there is one verdict still to come: that of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which has been investigating the party over alleged institutional racism.

Publication of its report — which has already been shared with the party — is imminent. The Corbynites have attempted to pre-empt its findings with a leaked document that was intended as Labour’s submission to the EHCR but which was never sent.

At over 800 pages, it claims to show that the real villains of the piece were the party’s long-standing officials, many of whom did not support Mr Corbyn and his allies. The document purports to show how the leader and his allies tried hard to fight antisemitism but were frustrated at every turn.

The report has become something of a bible to Corbynites, who cite it repeatedly in defending their leader and his team. Given what we know of the mindset, character and views of the extreme left, it seemed implausible that this version of events was correct.

So the JC commissioned John Ware to investigate every claim in the report. His findings are devastating. They show the repeated omission of key evidence and distortion of what is cited.

It might be said that this is now merely of historical interest, with Labour on a very different path. But neither the people involved not their ideology have gone away.

For Labour to move on, it has to confront its recent past. Before it can deal properly with it, Labour must understand what actually happened. We are glad to help in that task.