A very British coup as another shadow cabinet minister resigns, and more are expected
So if you've just woken up, you might want to put the kettle on, and then have a little sit-down
— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) June 26, 2016
Labour coup: shad cab resignations this am, Council leaders resign later today, front bench tomo. Councillors too. Tom Watson in place. 1/
— Allegra Stratton (@HMTAllegra) June 26, 2016
2/ Tom Watson may lead Labour into an Autumn election. Corbyn going to be presented with overwhelming evidence majority of party against him
— Allegra Stratton (@HMTAllegra) June 26, 2016
3/ if he doesn't resign and let Tom Watson take over, one Labour front bencher just told me "PLP will have to have our own leader".
— Allegra Stratton (@HMTAllegra) June 26, 2016
Labour MPs seeing Corbyn team's defiance this morning may be dusting down Joe Haines' plan for a breakaway PLP: https://t.co/MXUBILKSep
— Heather Stewart (@GuardianHeather) June 26, 2016
What odds on an autumn election with May and Watson leading their parties?
What an interesting few hours where Labour are trying to look even more split than the Tory party, but I do think the plotters inside the Labour party are doing the right thing, I’ve said many times Jeremy Corbyn will lead Labour to an epochal defeat at a general election, whereas someone vaguely electable might actually defeat the Tories at the next general election. As I speculated last night this appears co-ordinated, with Shadow Health Secretary, Heidi Alexander, quitting this morning, with more expected to follow.
If Allegra Stratton’s tweets are correct, the best option should be to back Tom Watson as next Labour leader at 8/1, my only concern is if there’s an effective unilateral declaration of independence by the Parliamentary Labour Party then Tom Watson won’t be leader of the Labour party, but leader of a new Labour party.
The other impact from these events is that it might change the dynamics of the Tory leadership contest. There’s been a belief that whomever the Tories elect they win a general election against Jeremy Corbyn, so they might choose someone with gravitas and experience. Which doesn’t help Boris Johnson but does help Theresa May, who you can still back at 3/1 as next Tory leader, or you might consider like the many mistresses of Boris, should you be laying him?
TSE