Is anyone in Labour getting along? Currently the party is trying to appeal against a High Court decision in favour of its own members, and its own grassroots campaign group Momentum is sending a petition to the party to tell it not to appeal that decision. Today the Deputy Leader and the Leader had a row, with Jeremy Corbyn of all people accusing Tom Watson of ‘peddling baseless conspiracy theories’. Baseless conspiracy theories are indeed one of the hobbies that Watson should, if he hasn’t already, list in Who’s Who, but Coffee House readers can judge for themselves whether his comments to the Guardian fall into that category. The party’s Deputy Leader said:

“ ‘There are some old hands twisting young arms in this process, and I’m under no illusions about what’s going on. They are caucusing and factionalising and putting pressure where they can, and that’s how Trotsky entryists operate.

‘Sooner or later, that always ends up in disaster. It always ends up destroying the institutions that are vulnerable, unless you deal with it.’

Corbyn’s team hit back hard, accusing Watson of ‘patronising members’ and saying the Deputy Leader should instead be trying to ‘unite’ Labour. There is no love lost between the two men: indeed, last month I reported that knives were out for the Deputy Leader, with one Corbynite source saying ‘The autumn might be an ideal time to change the rules so that one of the leader and deputy leader must be a woman.’

Last year, Labour's leadership contest grew to be so bitter that it was difficult to understand how the party could get along after so many things had been said that were poisonous or hurtful. This time around, it is difficult to understand how the party can even function on a day to day basis after the leadership contest, never mind be civil.