Ealing Southall CLP in London has just passed the following motion of censure calling on Tom Watson to either resign or fight a new election for his position of deputy Labour leader:
This CLP notes:
Under Party Rules, Clause VII, section ix. “the Deputy Leader shall provide the Leader with advice and support in achieving the goals of the Party and deputise as requested.”
That in her email of 1st March to Tom Watson, Jennie Formby, the General Secretary of the Party states “You have decided without consultation or regard to due process, to ask colleagues who raise complaints with me to forward them to your private email address as you will be ‘logging and monitoring’ all complaints. It is completely inappropriate for you to set up a vague parallel complaints monitoring system … The suggestion that you as an individual data controller should receive and store data related to complaints unrelated to your personal role as an MP … is completely unacceptable and exposes you, and the Party, to significant compliance risks. Furthermore you will undermine the work that my staff and I are doing and will confuse and pollute the existing formal process, compromising it and slowing it down.”In a series of media interviews Tom Watson has declared his intention to set up an organisation of MPs to challenge the policies of the Leader and the Shadow Cabinet.
Ealing Southall CLP believes that Tom Watson’s actions seek to undermine the Party Leader, twice overwhelmingly elected by party members, and are not compatible with his remit as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
This CLP calls for Tom Watson to either stand down as Deputy Leader or submit himself for re-election as Deputy Leader.
The motion passed easily, with nine delegates abstaining and not a single vote against.
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Tom Watson is a corrupt individual who serves the interests of the vested interests who have bought him off. His only function is to sabotage the election of a Labour government.
He is just an establishment thug and lackey. He is also as thick as shit. The cretin can’t even deliver a speech ffs.
How many took part in the vote?
It would be good to know how easily it passed.
https://www.change.org/p/labour-party-national-executive-committee-a-vote-of-no-confidence-in-tom-watson-mp-as-deputy-leader-of-the-labour-party
So what happens next?
Well done to Ealing Southall CLP. Watson has NEVER supported Jeremy and is the last person who should be his deputy. We need someone with the credibility and commitment of Chris Williamson to put themselves up against Watson. What are the rules regarding percentage of PLP support for a potential candidate?
There is no chance whatsoever that this man will stand down or resubmit himself for re election as deputy leader. Why would he – his position is secure under the Constitution. He was elected by the votes of individual members not CLPs and like the leader is therefore answerable to the members.Constitutionally the Deputy Leader’s and Leader’s positions are identical.
The only way to test support for Watson’s deputy leadership role is for one of the MPs to challenge him in the same way Owen Smith challenged Jeremy Corbyn. We would then be into a 3 month deputy leadership contest.
Much as I would like to see the back of Tom Watson this is not the time for such a contest. As in 2016 the Tories are in crisis – this time over Theresa May’s mishandling of Brexit -and there is the liklihood of an early General Election.Tom knows this as well as we do which is why he feels at liberty to behave as badly as he does.
Additionally he could be subject to disciplinary action by the party if it can be shown he broke the rules e.g by bringing the party into disrepute but this is unlikely to happen for the reasons given above .
So for now it looks as if we are lumbered with this extremely unsatisfactory deputy leader.
However Tom’s long term future is very uncertain and depends on whether or not he is re-selected by his CLP at the next General Election which I think is unlikely. He may well jump before he is pushed but he would find it very difficult to retain his seat if he was standing as Independent or much more likely part of the Tinge group. That of course would be his his problem, not ours . We would just be glad to be rid of him.
Yes, his CLP has the power to de-select him and I very much hope it will use it.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Watson is doing everything that he can to damage Jeremy Corbyn, the Party and our election prospects. Sort him out.
The time is wrong in now it would only be a diversion. The opportunity arose a while ago with the suggestion that the Conference should elect a second Deputy, one man and one woman. Such a measure would additionally have the advantage of sidestepping a misdemeanor. But the essentially difficulty arises in having an elected Deputy at all – the individual then laying claims to having authority aside from that of the leader. If I was the leader I would prefer to be able to chose my own.
Unless the Corbynistas in the PLP put up a rival candidate for whom we can vote and secure the requisite nominations, this is just so much hot air.
And given how close the Corbynistas have become politically to the Labour Right (e.g. on the EU and the economy), I cannot see it happening.
If by Corbynista you mean a fervent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn then thats what I am. I can assure you that neither I nor my fellow Corbynistas have shifted to the right and I am appalled that you should say so.
However left or right, we are all members of the same party and therefore there is a lot of common ground – exactly as it should be. Our party is the vibrant , the biggest in Europe and nearly all of us are united behind the leadership team and their Socialist manifesto. We do have differences but as long as these are sorted out privately and fraternally whats the problem? Internal debate and discussions are good.
There is a small minority of malcontents who still do not support the leadership team, work against it and deplore our Socialist manifesto but I am certain that our CLPs will weed these people out during the selection process come the next General Election. Alternatively they may jump before the are pushed and join the TIGers,Tories or Lib Dems where they would be much more at home. .