ON TWITTER

#TOMWATSON

In a speech, the deputy leader of the Labour Party and shadow culture secretary said the European Union is a good thing and that his party should be “loud and proud” for wanting to remain in it.

@JEN_CJ85 said: “Well my town is a Labour town yet voted to Leave – how do you explain that? You can’t turn your back on them.”

@kevthecheff commented: “You don’t speak for me or most of the members I know. If you don’t respect the party’s conference policy then please let me and the rest of the members have a second vote for the position of deputy leader.”

@drjonmoon posted: “I think that we need you as PM. Sorry, but Mr Corbyn is not up to it.”

@Kat_says_stuff, er, commented: “Great. But I don’t need to hear it from you. I need to hear it from Corbyn. Or Gardiner, Lavery, Mccluskey, Long-bailey, Nandy. Somebody who’s a Lexiter. Coming from you it’s meaningless.”

@graham_budden said: “‘Our members are only important and reasonable people when I speak on their behalf.’ Tom Watson couldn’t care less what actual members say, he has spent most of the last four years belittling our hard campaign work and accusing us of everything under the sun.” @Starlingmoss added: “I hope this is the start of @tom_watson bringing a leadership challenge. Corbyn has failed. Labour desperately needs a new, strong, electable leader. It needs to stop sitting on the Brexit fence and do what is best for the country.”

#TORYLEADERSHIP

Former Tory leadership contender Matt Hancock said he’ll be supporting Boris Johnson after he withdrew from the race. In a comment he wrote that Johnson “is almost certainly going to be our next prime minister”.

@Rachel_swindon said: “Shock resonates around Britain as a talentless chancer backs the bigoted candidate most likely to win in the hope of getting a better job than the one that matches his limited ability, such as a paper clip auditor.”

@Georgebturner posted: I don’t get it. I cannot wrap my head around why you’d support such a terrible person . . . oh, wait . . .”

@Lesrolt added: “I’m not angry, just disappointed.”