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This week my good friend Harry Woodford died. He’d have been 100 in December. A former Second World War ­Desert Rat, he had helped to rebuild the heavily-bombed Hull as the council’s deputy leader.

He was small in stature but a giant of a man and Labour through and through. For 40 years he was my political agent as MP (see right).

I visited him in his care home – his last words to me were: “John, what’s happening to our party?”

A few days later I saw a play called Limehouse, which told the story of the Gang of Four – David Owen, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and Bill Rodgers, who left Labour in 1982 to set up the SDP.

They didn’t like left-wing leader Michael Foot , were unhappy with his position on Europe and the power of moderate MPs was being lessened. After a short boost of support, the SDP failed and merged with Liberals to become Lib Dems.

It led to 18 years of Tory rule which did terrible damage to millions because of a weakened opposition. I thought of Harry’s words. It seemed history was starting to repeat itself.

Like Michael Foot, Jeremy Corbyn has had a tough time from his own side and the media. More than 170 MPs called for him to go only seven months after he became leader.

Although Corbyn was ­decisively re-elected, some MPs were still grumbling.

(Image: Getty)

I have attended over a ­thousand Parliamentary Labour Party meetings in my 40 years but never witnessed them more bitter or divided than in recent months. At one PLP meeting, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party Kezia Dugdale gave a brilliant picture of Labour’s difficulties in Scotland and her campaign to turn it round.

But as soon as she finished, the meeting turned sour when the same small group of right-wing Progress MPs lined up to have a pop at Corbyn. They moaned about the polls and his leadership. They also ensured the waiting media outside reported it – knowing crucial local elections were just weeks away. They didn’t offer any answers. Only complaints.

Theresa May, like Thatcher, was facing a weakened opposition with ­apparently little chance of coming back together. But in the past two weeks we’ve seen a much-needed change for the better. Corbyn and his shadow cabinet are coming up with really good policies and getting their act together.

While May was on her hols, Labour announced universal free school meals for primary kids, a £10-an-hour real living wage, pledges to protect the triple lock on pensions and a clampdown on late payment by big firms to small ­businesses.

(Image: Getty)

Finally, we’re talking about ideas and policies – not splits and personalities. Twenty years ago next month, Labour won an ­election landslide because we were united, trusted and had policies people could understand. When we lost in 2010, I felt we lost our way. We didn’t want to defend our record in government and by 2015 we accepted Tory austerity.

At least Labour is now ­developing clear red water between us and May. Not with soundbites and brickbats, but with popular policies.

Corbyn needs to continue being leader while his shadow cabinet should keep on developing eye-catching but credible policies.

When I was in the shadow cabinet in the 90s, we were falling over each other to develop ideas.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry , Education spokesperson Angela Rayner, Jon Ashworth at Health and Keir Starmer at Brexit have that

same attitude. So it’s time for backbiting backbenchers to get back on board. Labour finally now looks to be up for a fight. And thankfully, not with itself!