Upsum

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson MP accused the Momentum group, which supports Jeremy Corbyn as leader, of "a hard left plan to control the Labour party after Jeremy’s departure”. It followed reports in the Observer newspaper that the Unite union, a big backer of the Labour Party, could transfer its allegiance to the Momentum group. Watson said:

“I regard this as a battle for the future existence of the Labour party. This is high stakes, and I hope my fellow members are going to understand that.."

In a Twitter thread started by Labour MP Jess Phillips, Tom Watson tweeted at Momentum founder and Chair Jon Lansman:

You've revealed your plan. If you succeed you will destroy the Labour Party as an electoral force. So you have to be stopped.

Jon Lansman replied with:

For 20 years the left was denied a voice. We will deny a voice to no-one. We face big challenges, & we need our mass membership to win again