Corbyn wants deputy role split after failed bid to oust Watson
The words come after an attempt to scrap deputy leader Tom Watson's position on the first day of the party conference.
Sunday 22 September 2019 17:04, UK
Jeremy Corbyn has said he would like to divide the role of Labour deputy leader and remove some of the power his number two yields.
His words come after controversy over the position of current deputy leader Tom Watson.
An attempt to scrap Mr Watson's position - led by Jon Lansman, the head of the Corbyn-supporting Momentum group - was abandoned on the first day of the party's annual conference in Brighton on Saturday.
Mr Corbyn, whom Mr Watson has clashed with in the past on Brexit and Labour's handling of antisemitism claims, told the Sunday Mirror: "I told the national executive we need to review how the deputy leadership works and have an election process for two deputy leaders in the future which reflects diversity within our society, so one would be a woman.
"It was agreed overwhelmingly."
Mr Corbyn added: "Tom is the elected deputy leader of the party and so has an important role to play.
"I work with him and he's done very well on media reform, online gambling and exposing the way sugar has a deleterious affect on our lives."
Other developments at the party conference on day two include:
- Andrew Fisher, head of policy and the author of the party's last manifesto, has left his job - with The Sunday Times reporting he denounced Mr Corbyn's team for their "lack of professionalism, competence and human decency" in a memo.
- Labour wants a car scrappage scheme which would see cars older than 10 years and running on fossil fuels able to be traded in for a £2,000 discount on a new electric vehicle. The discount would be funded by the government and manufacturers.
- The party will announce its intention to abolish prescription charges in England. Prescriptions are already free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but cost £9 each for those in England who do not qualify for an exemption.
- Schools inspectorate Ofsted will be replaced by a two-phase inspection system, it will be announced. Education providers would get regular "health checks" by local government and more in-depth inspections led by Her Majesty's Inspectors.
Jon Ashworth told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday that "Jon Lansman does what Jon Lansman wants" and said he had "no idea what the discussions were" ahead of the motion against Mr Watson.
Labour grandee Dame Margaret Beckett said it was credible that Mr Corbyn didn't know about the plot, adding: "If Jeremy was supposed to keep abreast of every little plot that Jon thought of, he'd go crazy."
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey denied any involvement in the plan, and said it was "fake news".
He said: "If anything this demonstrates Jeremy's leadership - he stepped in and now this is yesterday's news."
Mr McCluskey also denied that there was anything to be worried about in the news that Mr Fisher is standing down, saying he would be a "valuable member of the team" until after the next general election.
Discussing their prescription policy, Mr Ashworth, shadow health secretary, told Sky News: "This government has given out billions in tax cuts. Yes there's a cost [to free prescriptions], but when a third of people with arthritis don't pick up their prescriptions because they can't afford it, when you get the heartbreaking story of a 19-year-old who died because she couldn't afford her prescription... I don't understand why the Tory government doesn't give England the same deal."
While Mr Ashworth couldn't answer questions about how the policy would be funded, he said there would be an "itemised spending plan" before the general election.
He denied that plans to scrap Ofsted could lead to school inspections being "politicised", arguing that the breadth of work local authorities already carry out proved they would be neutral.
He said inspections under Labour "won't be so heavy-handed and simplistic" but said "schools are still going to be inspected".
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It was also revealed that Labour could head into a general election campaign without a clear position on which side it would support in a second Brexit referendum.
A policy statement put forward by Mr Corbyn to the National Executive Committee said Labour would strike a new deal with Brussels within three months and then put it to another public vote.
The party's position in that referendum would be settled in a special conference after an election.
Mr Corbyn has denied suggestions he is sitting on the fence when it comes to Brexit, saying "leadership comes from listening".
Mr Ashworth said he is a "Remainer" and that his constituency voted remain, but that Labour much "also speak up for Ashfield, Doncaster and Barnsley" where people voted to leave the EU.
He said: "We have to unite the country. You have the Liberal [Democrat] leader saying they will end Brexit, but they were calling for the referendum.
"The party offering a referendum now is Labour, so if you want one, vote Labour."
Mr McCluskey also backed the party's plan to negotiate a deal and offer a referendum, saying his view as a union leader is that he would not suggest to campaign against a deal with an employer before one was struck - only making the choice after taking it back to employees involved in action.