Team Corbyn’s feud with Tom Watson took a farcical turn at conference today as their attempts to undermine him backfired spectacularly. Allies of Corbyn had put forward a motion to install a second deputy leader – who was guaranteed to be female – in an attempt to dilute Watson’s influence. Just another day in the happy Labour family…

However, it was Watson who had the last laugh after he turned the row on its head by unexpectedly deciding to support the motion himself, making a “passionate” speech in favour of creating the post on the grounds of gender equality.

Now it was Team Corbyn who suddenly got cold feet at the prospect of a popular woman being given a powerful platform to challenge Corbyn from. The hard-left Campaign for Labour Party Democracy faction started campaigning vigorously against the motion this morning before it was abruptly withdrawn just hours before it was due to be voted on. Too much democracy for them?

A deadpan Watson told the BBC he was “very disappointed” and that it was a “great shame” that the CLPD had opposed a second deputy leader, saying that “they’ve got nothing to fear with more women at the top table…” Watson 1 Corbyn 0