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| Tom Watson elected Labour party deputy leader | Tom Watson elected Labour party deputy leader |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour has picked Tom Watson as its deputy leader in a role that will involve helping to rebuild the party after its bruising election defeat and leadership contest. | Labour has picked Tom Watson as its deputy leader in a role that will involve helping to rebuild the party after its bruising election defeat and leadership contest. |
| The result was announced in front of an audience of party members at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, close to the houses of parliament in central London on Saturday. | The result was announced in front of an audience of party members at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, close to the houses of parliament in central London on Saturday. |
| Watson beat a slate of candidates that included Stella Creasy, the Walthamstow MP, and Angela Eagle, the MP for Wallasey. | Watson beat a slate of candidates that included Stella Creasy, the Walthamstow MP, and Angela Eagle, the MP for Wallasey. |
| He expressed his “gratitude, humility and determination to live up to the expectations” of party members, and hope that Eagle would play a big part in Labour’s next chapter. | He expressed his “gratitude, humility and determination to live up to the expectations” of party members, and hope that Eagle would play a big part in Labour’s next chapter. |
| “I promise to back our new leader 100%. I plan to exactly that and ask you to do the same. Only through unity will come the strength we need to fight the Conservatives,” he said. | “I promise to back our new leader 100%. I plan to exactly that and ask you to do the same. Only through unity will come the strength we need to fight the Conservatives,” he said. |
| He said Labour was the last line of defence for the millions of people suffering under a Tory government. | He said Labour was the last line of defence for the millions of people suffering under a Tory government. |
| Watson added: “For those who feel alarmed about the scale of differences between the old and new, there is only one Labour and it’s bigger than leaders and deputy leaders, bigger even than its members and supporters ... At our best, we articulate and embody the common sense and passion of the British people. If you put in when you can, you get out when you need.” | Watson added: “For those who feel alarmed about the scale of differences between the old and new, there is only one Labour and it’s bigger than leaders and deputy leaders, bigger even than its members and supporters ... At our best, we articulate and embody the common sense and passion of the British people. If you put in when you can, you get out when you need.” |
| The contest has been a referendum on the culture of Labour politics as much as policies as people are sick of the old way of doing things, he said. | The contest has been a referendum on the culture of Labour politics as much as policies as people are sick of the old way of doing things, he said. |
| His message to Tories sniggering about what they perceive is Labour weakness, he said “watch this space and watch your backs”. | His message to Tories sniggering about what they perceive is Labour weakness, he said “watch this space and watch your backs”. |
| Watson, who was the frontrunner for deputy throughout, will now be a key figure in the effort to build bridges between the likely new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the parliamentary party, which overwhelmingly did not want the Islington North MP to win. | Watson, who was the frontrunner for deputy throughout, will now be a key figure in the effort to build bridges between the likely new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the parliamentary party, which overwhelmingly did not want the Islington North MP to win. |
| Before the result was announced, the Labour MP for West Bromwich pledged to work constructively with whoever the party chose as leader and warned would-be rebels to accept the result. | Before the result was announced, the Labour MP for West Bromwich pledged to work constructively with whoever the party chose as leader and warned would-be rebels to accept the result. |
| Watson has a reputation as a formidable organiser with deep links to local parties and the trade unions, including Unite, whose general secretary Len McCluskey was once his flatmate. | Watson has a reputation as a formidable organiser with deep links to local parties and the trade unions, including Unite, whose general secretary Len McCluskey was once his flatmate. |
| He was associated closely with Gordon Brown in the last Labour government and played a key role in trying to get rid of Tony Blair as prime minister. Under Ed Miliband, he was made election co-ordinator but resigned from his post during the Falkirk vote-rigging scandal, saying he wanted to preserve party unity and claiming he no longer wanted to be on the political merry-go-round. | He was associated closely with Gordon Brown in the last Labour government and played a key role in trying to get rid of Tony Blair as prime minister. Under Ed Miliband, he was made election co-ordinator but resigned from his post during the Falkirk vote-rigging scandal, saying he wanted to preserve party unity and claiming he no longer wanted to be on the political merry-go-round. |
| But Watson is perhaps best known as a dogged campaigner on issues related to civil liberties and privacy. He helped uncover the phone-hacking scandal and to expose child abuse in the establishment. | But Watson is perhaps best known as a dogged campaigner on issues related to civil liberties and privacy. He helped uncover the phone-hacking scandal and to expose child abuse in the establishment. |
| During the contest, Watson has tried to take on the role of peacemaker and played down dire warnings from the Blairite wing of the party as overly alarmist. | During the contest, Watson has tried to take on the role of peacemaker and played down dire warnings from the Blairite wing of the party as overly alarmist. |
| In August, he told the Guardian that Labour members did not like being told who not to vote for and called on the parliamentary party to see the leadership contest as exciting, rather than being frightened of debate. | In August, he told the Guardian that Labour members did not like being told who not to vote for and called on the parliamentary party to see the leadership contest as exciting, rather than being frightened of debate. |
| However, he acknowledges it is possible that Labour could be at risk of splitting after the rancorous contest and argued one of the jobs of a new deputy leader would be to help unite the shadow cabinet and backbenchers in an effort to stop this happening. | However, he acknowledges it is possible that Labour could be at risk of splitting after the rancorous contest and argued one of the jobs of a new deputy leader would be to help unite the shadow cabinet and backbenchers in an effort to stop this happening. |
| The role of Labour deputy is traditionally one that involves a lot of party management and organisation but some have held cabinet portfolios as well. | The role of Labour deputy is traditionally one that involves a lot of party management and organisation but some have held cabinet portfolios as well. |