Labour faithful flocking to join Watson’s Future Britain Group

AN INCREASING number of Labour councillors and grassroots members say they wish to align themselves with Tom Watson’s Future Britain Group.

Labour’s deputy leader, who established the group, said it was intended to stop further resignations after nine MPS recently quit the party. More than 150 Labour MPS and peers turned up to its first meeting on Monday evening.

Last night a Labour source told The Daily Telegraph there “was lots of energy and enthusiasm”, with attendees including David Blunkett, Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, and John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister. “There was clearly a feeling ...that a group like this was needed,” the source said. “The turnout shows how many MPS feel isolated in the party.”

Darren Jones, the MP coordinating its policy ideas, told The Evening Standard, lots of people “want to get involved in the conversation around social democratic policy and we need to provide a mechanism for them to do that.”

He said he had received emails from “councillors, members and former staffers” wanting to be part of it.

Yesterday, Mr Watson described the last few weeks as “difficult and upsetting”, adding: “Unless we restore pluralism and tolerance to this party it will be irreparably damaged and we will see a schism bigger than any we have experienced in our long history.”