Tom Watson had his ‘man of the people’ credentials tested on the Today Programme this morning when he was challenged over Labour now being more closely associated with liberal metropolitan elite fad food quinoa than a traditional pie and a pint.
Watson denied eating it himself and insisted that “most of my friends don’t know it’s called quinoa – they call it ‘kwin-oha'”. At least he didn’t mistake mushy peas for guacamole…
At the Labour Friends of Israel event last night the Israeli ambassador Mark Regev was introduced by the newly slimline deputy leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson. Watson stood in solidarity with LFI chair Joan Ryan saying she was being “hounded out by people that have only just joined the Labour party.” Regev said “From Attlee to Wilson to Foot, from Kinnock to Blair to Brown, Labour leader’s have supported Zionism’s cause because it is an anti-racism cause.” The video clip is of the ambassador taking a gentle pop at the current Labour leader. Neatly done…
Video: Spectator
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Labour Party Democracy faction started campaigning vigorously against the motion this morning before it was abruptly withdrawn just hours before it was due to be voted on.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
“The committee that looks at it has many many live cases, and I would hope that very shortly they will be reaching results on the allegations made against some pretty disturbing characters.”
Tom Watson reopened his bitter feud with Corbyn last night as he accused Corbyn’s top aide Amy Jackson of leaking his private conversations to fanatical pro-Corbyn site Skwawkbox, in the midst of the abuse he was being subjected to on the #ResignWatson hashtag last month.
Last week’s shadow cabinet meeting immediately descended into a furious argument as the deputy leader rowed with Corbyn over only being given a “graveyard” slot to speak at Labour’s conference next week. Watson pointed the finger at former union official Jackson after Corbyn told him to address his concerns to her, saying that he wouldn’t because “last time I did that it ended up on Skwawkbox”. Watson has now refused to speak on the main stage altogether. His fringe events should be interesting…
Tom Watson famously loves a music festival – he’s been pictured at Glastonbury the last two years. So you’d have thought he’d have jumped at the chance to attend Labour Live, especially with tickets going cheap. Alas not, he told a guest at Ayesha Hazarika’s book launch for Punch and Judy Politics last night:
Guest: “I’ll see you at Labour Live!”
Watson: “No you won’t.”
Guest: “But I thought you loved music festivals?”
Watson: “That’s why I’m not going.”
Seems Labour’s deputy leader does not think much of Reverend and the Makers or the Magic Numbers. Should have booked Drenge…
