Watson has just tweeted “After 35 years in full-time politics, I’ve decided to step down and will be campaigning to overcome the Tory-fuelled public health crisis. I’m as committed to Labour as ever. I will spend this election fighting for brilliant Labour candidates and a better future for our country.” Guido had heard rumours that he wants to become a media performer like Nigel Farage. Tom has a book on “Downsizing” coming out soon and the last couple of times Guido has seen him he has shared weight loss tips! Whatever his future, his fight against the far-left is over…
One thing is for sure, if Tom Watson thought Labour was about to become the party of government, Guido doubts he would be stepping down. He is a very astute analyst of political power.
In an interview with Alastair Campbell, John McDonnell has confirmed he and Corbyn will quit leading the Labour Party if they lose another election. Now all that remains is to make them realise this time round that coming 56 seats behind the Tories doesn’t count as a victory…
McDonnell may not even have to wait for an election defeat, however, as this morning it was learnt he may be shifting to backing Tom Watson’s plan of holding a referendum before an election; and in retaliation, some of Labour’s most hardcore membership are already briefing against him. The state of the Labour Party in 2019: where John McDonnell is being called a Blairite…
UPDATE: Shadow Cabinet member John Trickett appears to have joined in the pile on, having replied to the hard left anti-McDonnell video gaining traction on Twitter noting it’s popularity. Not as supportive as McDonnell would have wished for…
H/T @Kevin Schofield who spotted the quickly-deleted Tweet…
Potentially annoyed at the failure of the attempted coup against the party’s deputy leader on the eve of their conference, some mischievious Parliamentary passholder has removed the name sign on Tom Watson’s office. Guido isn’t saying he endorses retaliatory measures by Blairites against Jeremy Corbyn, but a name-pinching factional battle would no doubt be more entertaining than the deselection express…
It is great to see that the New Labour traditions of photo-op manangement have not died in the Labour Party. This spontaneous out-pouring of support for Tom Watson and chanting of “Tom, Tom, Tom” is heartwarming. The National Organisation of Labour Students may be disaffiliated, labour students clearly not gone…
Tom Watson has responded to Corbyn’s ‘speech swap’ plan by cancelling his speech entirely.
Citing that he would want to be in Parliament when it returns tomorrow, the Deputy Leader has cunningly avoided the planned mass walk out of his speech that had been devised by hard-left factions within the party and extensively advertised with leaflets inside the conference secure zone. Little victories…
