Four days after Watson said Corbyn must work with LibDems, still no mention on Twitter feed of Corbyn’s offer to work with them and other parties
Early this week Tom Watson, in name at least the deputy leader of the Labour Party, was pictured cosily with LibDem leader Jo Swinson, before saying that his party leader Jeremy Corbyn must work with the LibDems to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Corbyn promptly outmanoeuvred Watson – and Swinson – by offering to work with the LibDems to prevent a no-deal Brexit, in a letter sent to MPs of various parties inviting them to support his efforts.
Swinson, rattled, gave a speech saying she would do ‘whatever it takes’ to prevent a no-deal Brexit – and that she wouldn’t work with Corbyn. Instead and embarrassingly, she named a pair of ‘centrists’ that included Tory veteran Ken Clarke, who said he would try to get a better Brexit instead of a new referendum.
Two days after making his demand, Watson’s Twitter feed – which Labour insiders say he won’t allow anyone else to operate – had made no mention whatever of Corbyn’s letter or plan.
” The extent to which Corbyn has outclassed and outmanoeuvred his opponents inside and outside the Labour Party is neatly demonstrated by Watson’s paralysis.”
Today, two days later still, there is still no mention – and not only that, but Watson appears to have been stunned virtually into silence by Corbyn’s bold move. In the days since Corbyn’s offer on Wednesday night, Watson has managed only a single tweet of his own, plus two ‘retweets’ of items completely unrelated to the issue:
This is not the first time Watson has gone ‘AWOL’ at crucial moments. In March, when Corbyn was violently assaulted at Finsbury Park Mosque by a right-winger subsequently jailed for ‘assault with beating’, Watson’s Twitter feed was silent, not even carrying good wishes for Corbyn’s recovery let alone condemning the attack.
The extent to which Corbyn has outclassed and outmanoeuvred his opponents inside and outside the Labour Party is neatly demonstrated by Watson’s cowardly paralysis.
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