Bitter feud between Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson boils over in shadow cabinet meeting
Relations have become explosive between the Labour leader and his deputy since the decision to sideline Watson from Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool next week
JEREMY Corbyn and Tom Watson’s bitter feud has plunged to a new low after a furious row exploded between them in a shadow cabinet meeting over leaks.
The deputy leader stunned colleagues by tearing into Mr Corbyn and publicly naming and shaming one of his female staff members for leaking his private concerns to hard-left blog site Skwawkbox.
The row broke out over the decision by Mr Corbyn’s office to sideline Mr Watson from the main podium at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool next week.
But six female frontbenchers immediately turned on the deputy leader over his outburst - and accused him of “bullying” a female member of staff by outing her.
According to a shadow cabinet source in the room, Mr Corbyn opened the session by saying: “I hope everyone is happy with their speeches at conference.”
But Mr Watson shot back: “I’m not.”
Mr Corbyn then told Mr Watson to address his concerns to his political secretary Amy Jackson, but Mr Watson fired back: “I won’t because the last time I did that it ended up on Skwawkbox.”
Another shadow cabinet source said: “His attack on a female member of staff was roundly criticised by other members of the shadow cabinet.
Six spoke out straight away to criticise how he aired the disagreement, saying it was not the right way to behave about a dispute about what day Tom will speak on.
“Tom then agreed to settle the issue in private with Jeremy, which I hope is what happens.”
Mr Watson decided to snub the main stage altogether next week after only being offered “grave yard” slots to speak in the evenings - when most people have left.
He instead offered his slot to fervent Remainer Richard Corbett, leader of Labour’s MEPs in Brussels.
Instead he will save his speeches for the fringe circuit.
It is the latest rift between Mr Corbyn and Mr Watson after the deputy leader rebuked his boss over the anti-Semitism crisis.
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Labour refused to comment on private meetings.
It came as it emerged Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer nearly quit earlier this year in protest over the party’s Brexit position.
The Guardian reported that he was pushed to the brink of resignation over Mr Corbyn’s attempt to kick a decision over the EU’s customs union into the long grass.
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