Watson’s new plot

Ever since Jeremy Corbyn was elected as leader of the Labour party, many of his MPs have dreamed of deposing him. They’ve tried mass shadow ministerial resignations, a no-confidence motion, even a formal leadership contest — but to no avail. Some, like Chuka Umunna, left the party, hoping (in vain) that others would join their breakaway group. Other MPs gave up hope, resigned and found jobs outside of politics — concluding no plot would ever work. But that might now be changing.

The Corbynites, who have stuck together for so long, are fighting with each other. Party members, once the human shield who protected their leader, are beginning to doubt him. The Labour lords are in open rebellion, and have taken out an advert in the Guardian attacking Corbyn over his failure to deal with anti-Semitism: the Labour party welcomes everyone ‘except, it seems, Jews’, it reads. And MPs are beginning to organise themselves much better having found, in their deputy leader Tom Watson, someone with the skills and the motivation to act.