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| Explained: the attempt to remove Tom Watson as deputy Labour leader | Explained: the attempt to remove Tom Watson as deputy Labour leader |
| (4 months later) | |
| Has Tom Watson been removed as deputy leader? | Has Tom Watson been removed as deputy leader? |
| No, but there was strong speculation he would be after Jon Lansman, the founder of the pro-Corbyn campaign group, Momentum, tabled a last-minute motion at the party’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) on Friday night calling for Watson’s job to be scrapped. | No, but there was strong speculation he would be after Jon Lansman, the founder of the pro-Corbyn campaign group, Momentum, tabled a last-minute motion at the party’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) on Friday night calling for Watson’s job to be scrapped. |
| The attempt to abolish Watson’s post of deputy leader comes as allies of Jeremy Corbyn threatened to plunge the Labour party into a fresh civil war on the eve of its annual conference. | The attempt to abolish Watson’s post of deputy leader comes as allies of Jeremy Corbyn threatened to plunge the Labour party into a fresh civil war on the eve of its annual conference. |
| A 62-year-old Labour veteran who joined the party in 1974 and worked for Labour icon Tony Benn during his deputy leadership campaign in the 1980s. Lansman served as director of operations for Corbyn’s leadership campaign. After Corbyn was elected as the leader of the Labour party in 2015, Lansman founded Momentum, a pro-Corbyn campaign group. | A 62-year-old Labour veteran who joined the party in 1974 and worked for Labour icon Tony Benn during his deputy leadership campaign in the 1980s. Lansman served as director of operations for Corbyn’s leadership campaign. After Corbyn was elected as the leader of the Labour party in 2015, Lansman founded Momentum, a pro-Corbyn campaign group. |
| Momentum, often described as a ‘party within a party’, has radically transformed the Labour party over the last four years. Local groups have challenged party orthodoxies and national membership rules, and fought to get their activists selected. | Momentum, often described as a ‘party within a party’, has radically transformed the Labour party over the last four years. Local groups have challenged party orthodoxies and national membership rules, and fought to get their activists selected. |
| “I don’t want the Labour party to become a faction fight,” Lansman said in a 2016 interview with the Guardian. “What I want is a level playing field. I want the Labour party to be able to have a democratic debate.” But in recent weeks, Lansman, and Momentum, are back in the news for being key figures behind another Labour party civil war. | “I don’t want the Labour party to become a faction fight,” Lansman said in a 2016 interview with the Guardian. “What I want is a level playing field. I want the Labour party to be able to have a democratic debate.” But in recent weeks, Lansman, and Momentum, are back in the news for being key figures behind another Labour party civil war. |
| Lansman was behind the move to scrap Labour’s 40-year-old student wing, arguing the group needs reforming and had not paid its affiliation fees. Critics described the move as a cynical attempt to shut down a “moderate” wing of the party. Lansman also tabled a last-minute motion at the NEC last year calling for deputy leader Tom Watson’s job to be scrapped. The motion was withdrawn after Corbyn intervened. | |
| The chair of the NEC initially ruled Lansman’s motion out of order, but NEC members agreed to return to the issue on Saturday morning. If the policy was agreed, it would have been recommended to Labour members as a change to party rules, which would then have to be approved by conference. | The chair of the NEC initially ruled Lansman’s motion out of order, but NEC members agreed to return to the issue on Saturday morning. If the policy was agreed, it would have been recommended to Labour members as a change to party rules, which would then have to be approved by conference. |
| Why did Lansman want to abolish the role of deputy leader? | Why did Lansman want to abolish the role of deputy leader? |
| Watson’s position on Brexit and his vocal criticism of Corbyn has put him at odds with the leadership and his allies. Corbyn allies believe Watson is using the issue of Brexit to drive a wedge between the Labour leader and the party’s overwhelmingly pro-remain activists. | Watson’s position on Brexit and his vocal criticism of Corbyn has put him at odds with the leadership and his allies. Corbyn allies believe Watson is using the issue of Brexit to drive a wedge between the Labour leader and the party’s overwhelmingly pro-remain activists. |
| A Momentum source previously told the Guardian: “No one person is more important than beating Boris Johnson, ending austerity and tackling the climate emergency. We just can’t afford to go into an election with a deputy leader set on wrecking Labour’s chances.” | A Momentum source previously told the Guardian: “No one person is more important than beating Boris Johnson, ending austerity and tackling the climate emergency. We just can’t afford to go into an election with a deputy leader set on wrecking Labour’s chances.” |
| How did the Labour party and its supporters respond? | How did the Labour party and its supporters respond? |
| The news was met with a ferocious backlash from unions and Labour MPs. The former prime minister Tony Blair said a decision to abolish the post of deputy leader would be “undemocratic, damaging and politically dangerous”. | The news was met with a ferocious backlash from unions and Labour MPs. The former prime minister Tony Blair said a decision to abolish the post of deputy leader would be “undemocratic, damaging and politically dangerous”. |
| The former Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “The move to abolish the deputy leader post without warning or debate is undemocratic, wrong and should not happen. Those who came up with the idea for the eve of Labour conference have taken leave of their senses.” | The former Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “The move to abolish the deputy leader post without warning or debate is undemocratic, wrong and should not happen. Those who came up with the idea for the eve of Labour conference have taken leave of their senses.” |
| The leaders of Unison and the GMB, two of the three big unions affiliated to Labour, immediately attacked the attempt to remove Watson while the Ilford North MP, Wes Streeting, tweeted that the move to remove the deputy leader was “outrageous, it’s self-destructive and must stop”. | The leaders of Unison and the GMB, two of the three big unions affiliated to Labour, immediately attacked the attempt to remove Watson while the Ilford North MP, Wes Streeting, tweeted that the move to remove the deputy leader was “outrageous, it’s self-destructive and must stop”. |
| Tom Watson, who has been Labour’s deputy leader since 2015, has been an MP since 2001. The 52-year-old served as a minister in the Labour government and was appointed the deputy chair of the NEC by Ed Miliband. | Tom Watson, who has been Labour’s deputy leader since 2015, has been an MP since 2001. The 52-year-old served as a minister in the Labour government and was appointed the deputy chair of the NEC by Ed Miliband. |
| Watson stepped in to personally handle complaints in the midst of Labour’s antisemitism crisis. He backed automatic exclusion of members accused of anti-Jewish racism. | Watson stepped in to personally handle complaints in the midst of Labour’s antisemitism crisis. He backed automatic exclusion of members accused of anti-Jewish racism. |
| Earlier this year, Watson called on centrist MPs to stay and fight within the Labour party, putting an end to rumours he would lead a split of centrist Labour MPs. | Earlier this year, Watson called on centrist MPs to stay and fight within the Labour party, putting an end to rumours he would lead a split of centrist Labour MPs. |
| In his speech earlier this month, Watson said his party must “unambiguously and unequivocally back remain” in a second referendum, a move that Jeremy Corbyn believes to be the wrong approach. | In his speech earlier this month, Watson said his party must “unambiguously and unequivocally back remain” in a second referendum, a move that Jeremy Corbyn believes to be the wrong approach. |
| As well as regularly being in conflict with the Labour leadership, Watson has had a long-running feud with Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, Labour’s biggest donor. The pair, who were once close friends, have clashed over Corbyn’s leadership and Brexit. | As well as regularly being in conflict with the Labour leadership, Watson has had a long-running feud with Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, Labour’s biggest donor. The pair, who were once close friends, have clashed over Corbyn’s leadership and Brexit. |
| Watson said he was in a Chinese restaurant in Manchester when he heard of the motion to scrap his position within the Labour party. He described the move as a “straight sectarian attack on a broad church party”, adding it was “a sort of sleight of hand of constitutional change to do a drive-by shooting of someone you disagree with on the issue of the day.” | Watson said he was in a Chinese restaurant in Manchester when he heard of the motion to scrap his position within the Labour party. He described the move as a “straight sectarian attack on a broad church party”, adding it was “a sort of sleight of hand of constitutional change to do a drive-by shooting of someone you disagree with on the issue of the day.” |
| As for Watson, he described the move to abolish his post as a “drive-by shooting”. | As for Watson, he described the move to abolish his post as a “drive-by shooting”. |
| What did Corbyn do? | What did Corbyn do? |
| As anger began to build on Saturday morning, Corbyn was forced to defuse the attempt to oust Watson. | As anger began to build on Saturday morning, Corbyn was forced to defuse the attempt to oust Watson. |
| At a meeting of Labour’s NEC on Saturday, Corbyn proposed a review of the deputy leader post instead of abolishing it, which was accepted by the group. | At a meeting of Labour’s NEC on Saturday, Corbyn proposed a review of the deputy leader post instead of abolishing it, which was accepted by the group. |
| After his intervention, Corbyn told reporters outside the conference centre that he enjoyed working with Watson. | After his intervention, Corbyn told reporters outside the conference centre that he enjoyed working with Watson. |
| What happens next? | What happens next? |
| The deputy leader post will be reviewed at Labour party’s conference. Lansman said he supported Corbyn’s proposal and tweeted: “We need to make sure the role is properly accountable to the membership while also unifying the party at conference. In my view, this review is absolutely the best way of doing that.” | The deputy leader post will be reviewed at Labour party’s conference. Lansman said he supported Corbyn’s proposal and tweeted: “We need to make sure the role is properly accountable to the membership while also unifying the party at conference. In my view, this review is absolutely the best way of doing that.” |
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| Labour conference 2019 | Labour conference 2019 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | Jeremy Corbyn |
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