Watson quit shock
Labour’s Deputy Leader quits after 18yrs as West Brom MP
LABOUR moderate Tom Watson quit as the party’s Deputy Leader last night and announced that he was stepping down as an MP.
The politician, who has represented West Bromwich since 2001, said his decision was “personal, not political”, but his departure will raise questions about the direction of the party under Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Watson said he would “not be walking away” from the election campaign and would do “everything I can” in the meantime to help progressive Labour MPs get elected.
His resignation letter said he would not be “leaving politics altogether”.
Mr Watson survived an attempted coup by Mr Corbyn’s allies just before the party’s annual conference last month and has regularly clashed with the Labour leader over Brexit and the party’s handling of anti-Semitism.
In his letter, he said: “Now is the right time for me to stand down from national politics. The disagreements we have had inside the party are wellknown; now is not the time to rehearse them again.”
Mr Watson’s departure paves the way for a new Deputy Leader after the election, with expectations that a woman could get the job. Emily Thornberry, Angela Rayner and Becky Long-Bailey are likely to make a bid.
REFORM
Mr Watson, who lost 8st after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, is expected to devote himself to campaigning on public health, gambling reform and against press intrusion.
Mr Watson served as a minister under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. In his letter, he said he was “deeply proud” of what past Labour governments had achieved.
He added: “This election is a turning point for our country and I know that Labour goes into it united in our determination to remove the Conservative government that has done so much damage to the communities Labour was founded to represent.”
If Labour loses, Mr Corbyn could be forced to resign, meaning there will be two elections at the top of the party.
Mr Watson had a fractious relationship with Mr Corbyn and his aides.
In September, he saw off a plot by Momentum chief Jon Lansman and Mr Corbyn’s then chief-of-staff, Karie Murphy, to get rid of him, describing it as a “drive-by shooting”.
It prompted war in the party as MPs feared the move could trigger a fresh leadership challenge against Mr Corbyn. Mr Corbyn, furious that the move threatened to overshadow the
Now is the right time for me to stand down from national politics
TOM WATSON DEPUTY LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY
party conference, called off the bid to oust Mr Watson.
But it contributed to the anxiety already felt among centrist Labour MPs that the party had descended into irreversible factionalism.
Mr Corbyn has tried to exert authority over his front bench in recent days, telling them sticking to the message on Brexit is crucial. But Mr Watson has been an outspoken critic, insisting that “our hearts are Remain, our values are Remain”.
As Shadow Culture Secretary, Mr Watson revealed in the Mirror this week that Labour would restore free
TV licences to the over-75s. In response to his resignation letter, Mr Corbyn said: “Few people have given as much to the Labour movement as you have and I know that many thousands of members and trade unionists that you have inspired and worked with over the years will be very sorry to see you go.”
He added: “I’ve always enjoyed our very convivial chats about many things, including cycling, exercise and horticulture. I hope the horseradish plants I gave you thrive.”