Is Jeremy Corbyn really up for a fight with Len McCluskey over Trident?

Today’s report that Len McCluskey plans to warn Jeremy Corbyn against changing Labour policy on Trident is not a surprise after the GMB’s Sir Paul Kenny used pretty fruity language to do the same on Monday. But it is significant as it shows that the plan of those in the party who do not want the Labour leader to continue in post to the next election is progressing as they’d hope. That plan is pretty rough and ready, but it does involve the unions losing faith in Corbyn’s basic competence, and not just blocking his moves to mark Labour a unilateralist party.

Whether or not that plan succeeds isn’t clear. But an interesting question is whether a failed attempt to change party policy on nukes is a blow to Corbyn’s authority or, in the strange through-the-looking-glass world of the current Labour party, not as damaging as it should be. And that depends on Corbyn going far enough to do something that could be classed as a proper attempt to change policy.