Open letter to Tom Watson Labour Party Deputy Leader

Corbyn, Benn and Watson - sometimes a picture paints a thousand words

Deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson has joined the party's dissenters publishing negative opinions in the previously Labour supporting publication the Guardian.

It is an open secret that the Guardian is struggling to keep its head above water in these tough news times, with competition from the Internet and social media.

Last week it was a previous Labour darling Owen Jones and Tuesday it is Tom Watson; his post is titled "Trotskyists 'twisting arms' of young Labour members to back Corbyn, Watson says."

Watson has attracted an angry response on Twitter but also inadvertently become the butt of the joke as #TrotskyiteTwist trends along with Vines of various dancers doing the twist.

But there is of course a more menacing side to all of this.

Sharing such opinion pieces in widely read and supported publications hammers home a message whether it is true or false.

Hard-left “Trotsky entryists” have been “twisting the arms” of young Labour members to shore up Jeremy Corbyn’s control of the party, the deputy leader Tom Watson has said.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian, in which he also called for the reintroduction of elections to the shadow cabinet and the return of the electoral college for selecting future Labour leaders, Watson said he was concerned that infiltration by Trotskyists would end up destroying the party.

It is posted as news not an opinion piece.

More mind manipulation with the media the message?

On Facebook's Labour Party Forum one of the male admins posted a link to the story with the following:

"You're being led by Trots! Or so Tom Watson puts at least part of Corbyn's popularity down to. He also doesn't think you should have such a big say on who is party leader. Given that part of his mandate as Deputy Leader is social media engagement, I think it'd be a great idea to let him know why you did vote/intend to vote for Corbyn here (or why you didn't/intend not to, of course), and what you think of the state of the Labour Party as I know he posts on here occasionally (it goes without saying that normal forum rules apply to any comments; those that don't will be deleted)

Sure enough Watson came out of the Facebook woodwork.

He posted a link to another of his Guardian pieces saying "I have no doubt that David Robinson will not like the interview that lead to the Guardian headline but for clarity, it may be worth reading it in conjunction with the news report. Best to you all, even the people who don't agree with me."

It made not an iota of difference to me.

It lacks credibilty like Mr Watson.

Links to both reports are posted at the end of this opinion piece.

For what it's worth here is my opinion:

I noticed Watson looking shame-faced, squirming a bit in his seat in the House of Commons and allowing Angela Eagle to step ino Corbyn's shoes when he was not in the Commons from day one.

I often wondered why?

To my mind a deputy leader is just that and should deputise when the leader is away.

Retired these days I found myself watching PMQs as it happens, live on TV, from the House of Commons.

And I often wondered why Watson even turned up?

He was more supportive when Eagle stood in for Corbyn but he appeared quite unnecessary the rest of the time.

As the fight for the Labour Party continues we supporters and members all virtually 'die' a little.

Words said will not be easily forgotten or forgiven.

Every ill-worded piece aimed at removing Corbyn may act as reverse psychology.

I am not a Trot, I am not a Moron, I am not young, I am not easily led by arm twisters, I am not a Corbynista but I appear to be in each of those categories if you take note of some in the Labour Party.

I wonder what I will be when it comes to local and General Elections?

​https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-show-of-no-confidence-in-tom-watson-mp-deputy-leader-labour

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/09/trotskyists-young-labour-members-jeremy-corbyn-tom-watson
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/09/tom-watson-interview-jeremy-corbyn-labour-rifts-hug-shout