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| Tom Watson tells Corbyn he has lost his authority among Labour MPs | Tom Watson tells Corbyn he has lost his authority among Labour MPs |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tom Watson has told the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, that he has lost his authority within the parliamentary party and that if there was a leadership election then members would be voting with that knowledge. | Tom Watson has told the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, that he has lost his authority within the parliamentary party and that if there was a leadership election then members would be voting with that knowledge. |
| In critical talks at 9am on Monday morning, the deputy leader set out how destabilising a wave of shadow cabinet and ministerial resignations had been for the party but fell short of calling on Corbyn to resign. | |
| Labour sources, including those close to the leader, admitted that a leadership election was looking increasingly likely, with Watson telling Corbyn he would do his best to hold the party together. | Labour sources, including those close to the leader, admitted that a leadership election was looking increasingly likely, with Watson telling Corbyn he would do his best to hold the party together. |
| Corbyn remained defiant, with his team reiterating his words on Sunday night: “Those who want to change Labour’s leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate.” | Corbyn remained defiant, with his team reiterating his words on Sunday night: “Those who want to change Labour’s leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate.” |
| Corbyn said he would not “betray the trust” of the Labour members who voted for him. | Corbyn said he would not “betray the trust” of the Labour members who voted for him. |
| Monday’s meeting came after the leader announced a raft of shadow cabinet appointments amid further frontbench resignations and calls that Corbyn stand down. | Monday’s meeting came after the leader announced a raft of shadow cabinet appointments amid further frontbench resignations and calls that Corbyn stand down. |
| Two more full shadow cabinet ministers, energy secretary Lisa Nandy and pensions secretary Owen Smith, resigned just before midday and backed Watson to take over as a caretaker leader. | |
| The pair issued a joint statement, together with colleagues John Healey and Nia Griffith, describing themselves as the “centre left” of Labour, and saying they had met Corbyn and told him they believed he should step aside for the good of the party. | |
| It said: “The lack of confidence in the leadership goes beyond the small group of MPs who have consistently opposed Jeremy since his election. It has become clear that he is unable to form a broad, inclusive shadow cabinet that draws on the best of our movement’s left and right traditions. | |
| “For that reason we have told Jeremy that whilst the party holds a leadership contest – which is now inevitable – we believe Tom Watson ought to take over as a caretaker leader to stabilise the party and to enable us to play a full part as the official opposition in one of the most difficult periods this country has ever faced.” | |
| Sources said the group went into their meeting with Corbyn with an open mind but were furious when shadow chancellor John McDonnell “barged in”. They said he answered questions meant for the leader and called on them to take on the rebels, against their hope to encourage them to build a shadow cabinet from all parts of the party. | |
| More than dozen junior shadow ministers and frontbenchers resigned on Monday – following in the footsteps of 12 members of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet on Sunday. Party figures were due to meet on Monday afternoon to discuss a motion of no confidence in Corbyn, which is expected to be debated in the evening. Meanwhile, there will be a protest outside parliament during the meeting, while trade union leaders have warned Labour rebels to back off. | |
| Labour will now have to replace a series of additional resignations, including frontbencher Stephen Kinnock, who resigned on Monday as parliamentary private secretary to Angela Eagle, the shadow first secretary of state and shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills. | Labour will now have to replace a series of additional resignations, including frontbencher Stephen Kinnock, who resigned on Monday as parliamentary private secretary to Angela Eagle, the shadow first secretary of state and shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills. |
| Also quitting on Monday ahead of the crunch meeting of the PLP was Diana Johnson, who resigned as a shadow foreign minister. Anna Turley stepped down as shadow minister for civil society and Toby Perkins quit as shadow armed forces minister. | Also quitting on Monday ahead of the crunch meeting of the PLP was Diana Johnson, who resigned as a shadow foreign minister. Anna Turley stepped down as shadow minister for civil society and Toby Perkins quit as shadow armed forces minister. |
| Showing no sign of capitulating to the demands of the former shadow cabinet members, Corbyn announced a list of appointments with immediate effect. They included: | Showing no sign of capitulating to the demands of the former shadow cabinet members, Corbyn announced a list of appointments with immediate effect. They included: |
| Perkins’s absence will be notable on Monday afternoon in parliament during defence questions, underlining the fact that the Labour leader will find it difficult to operate without a team around him. Sources said that while some of the coup had been organised, many of the resignations were taking place organically. | Perkins’s absence will be notable on Monday afternoon in parliament during defence questions, underlining the fact that the Labour leader will find it difficult to operate without a team around him. Sources said that while some of the coup had been organised, many of the resignations were taking place organically. |
| Chris Leslie MP said: “There is a growing sense of unity now across the PLP that we have a duty to our country to bring Labour back into contention, with good colleagues suppressing their own personal ambitions now in pursuit of this common goal.” | Chris Leslie MP said: “There is a growing sense of unity now across the PLP that we have a duty to our country to bring Labour back into contention, with good colleagues suppressing their own personal ambitions now in pursuit of this common goal.” |
| Former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell, who resigned on Sunday, insisted the mass exodus was not a planned coup against Corbyn but instead a reaction to the “seismic” events that have shaken Westminster in recent days – the EU referendum result and David Cameron’s resignation. | Former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell, who resigned on Sunday, insisted the mass exodus was not a planned coup against Corbyn but instead a reaction to the “seismic” events that have shaken Westminster in recent days – the EU referendum result and David Cameron’s resignation. |
| Powell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she hoped Corbyn would “not drag this out any longer than necessary” and step down. | Powell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she hoped Corbyn would “not drag this out any longer than necessary” and step down. |
| In his resignation letter, Kinnock, the high-profile MP for Aberavon, told Corbyn he had “the deepest respect for your long service to our party and for the consistency with which you have served as an MP and as our leader”. | In his resignation letter, Kinnock, the high-profile MP for Aberavon, told Corbyn he had “the deepest respect for your long service to our party and for the consistency with which you have served as an MP and as our leader”. |
| He added: “However, in light of the deeply disappointing referendum result caused, in part, by the half-hearted and lacklustre role that you played in the campaign, I have come to the conclusion that you are no longer able to lead our party. | He added: “However, in light of the deeply disappointing referendum result caused, in part, by the half-hearted and lacklustre role that you played in the campaign, I have come to the conclusion that you are no longer able to lead our party. |
| “Furthermore, British politics will be completely dominated in the coming years by the Brexit negotiations, and I do not believe that you have the requisite skills or experience to ensure that there is a strong Labour voice at the negotiating table as we undertake this monumentally complex task.” | “Furthermore, British politics will be completely dominated in the coming years by the Brexit negotiations, and I do not believe that you have the requisite skills or experience to ensure that there is a strong Labour voice at the negotiating table as we undertake this monumentally complex task.” |
| Chris Bryant, the former shadow leader of the House said he was unsure whether Corbyn had even voted to remain in the EU himself. Bryant said he had asked the leader directly if he had voted to leave, but “he didn’t answer”. | |
| Bryant added: “The truth is Jeremy’s management of the campaign in the referendum left many voters on polling day not even knowing which way he was going to vote himself. I suspect that Jeremy may have voted to leave.” |