Corbyn asks for more time to develop policy as Watson-McCluskey feud continues

Jeremy Corbyn has appealed for more time to deliver election-winning policies following a weekend of intense debate at the top of the party and the unions over his future following Labour’s disastrous defeat in Copeland.

Corbyn also appeared to blame demographic change for the loss of the west Cumbria seat to the Tories, which had been Labour for more than 80 years.

The leader, who has won overwhelmingly victories in the last two leadership elections, spoke out last night after the war of words between deputy leader Tom Watson and Len McCluskey deepened.

Watson, a former ally of McCluskey, pointedly asked “where’s Len McCluskey defending his leader?” as the post-mortem into the Copeland defeat continued. The Unite general secretary hit back, saying he would “take no lessons” in loyalty from Watson.

Corbyn, who has received strong support from McCluskey and Unite, told The Guardian that a report on Labour’s loss in Copeland would be delivered to the shadow cabinet and the ruling national executive committee on Tuesday. He also said it would take a bit longer to set out Labour’s detailed positions.

“We have policy development going on and clearly there’s a slight conundrum here, in that I was elected leader on a platform of challenging austerity, which I think you will concede we have done and do, and will continue to,” he said.

“But there’s also a question of democratic policy-making. That is longer and slightly more cumbersome than calling in a few experts into my office to tell me what the policies should be.”

He also said he took his share of responsibility for the defeat but pointed to changes in the make-up of Cumbria’s residents.

“Well, I’m leader of the party and people obviously have a view, perceptions, about party leaders, and I have mine.

“There’s also a longer term issue in Copeland that the Labour vote has actually been unfortunately going down for quite a long time and the area has changed; the area also needs an investment plan so it doesn’t need to rely solely on nuclear but relies on other industries as well.”

On Friday, two key trade union leaders told Corbyn to raise his game after the defeat in Copeland and victory over UKIP in Stoke. McCluskey demanded a “laser-like focus” on jobs and wages while Dave Prentis, head of Unison, was rather more critical, said the Cumbria result was “disastrous” and said Corbyn must do more to speak up for public sector workers.