Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson has insisted that the party can win the General Election in 2020 under current leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Speaking on Peston on Sunday, Mr Watson claimed it was not "a suicide approach" to stick with Mr Corbyn.

He said: "We can win a General Election with Jeremy Corbyn but things have to change.

"I think the country now knows that he is a conviction politician, I think they now want to see that he can give greater policy coherence and greater clarity when explaining what our mission is."

Mr Watson told ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston the party needed to "stop dwelling on the past" and unify behind Mr Corbyn.

He added: "The Labour party has got to change in the way it communicates to people.

"We've got to convince them that we understand what's coming down the tracks with the economy and in political life post-Brexit, and that we can have a policy coherence that delivers".

In relation to the humiliating by-election defeat in Copeland, Mr Watson said every member of the party must take responsibility for the result.

He said: "It's very easy to embody responsibility when you are in politics but actually we need to do a lot more and that responsibility is on me, it's on him (Corbyn), it's on our frontbenchers, it's on those people who got Jeremy elected. We need to do better."

Mr Watson added that Labour had chosen Mr Corbyn as leader and could not have another leadership contest now, primarily because of the uncertainty created by the UK's decision to leave the European Union.

He said: "It's on us to hold the Government to account every day, every week of the negotiations. Brexit is the backdrop for British political life for the next two years and it needs to be our focus...

"And everything else is a distraction from that and that's why it's so important."

Mr Watson called on Len McCluskey to show his support for Mr Corbyn. Credit: Gareth Fuller / PA

Mr Watson also challenged union boss Len McCluskey and other Corbyn supporters to be more visible with their backing for the under-fire leader.

Mr Watson said: "If I've got some frustrations, it's that those people that are Jeremy's cheerleaders, that made sure that he was elected a second time last September, they should be sticking with their leader in the bad times, not just the good.

"Dave Prentis has spoken out, but I'd say to you this morning where's Len McCluskey defending his leader in this difficult time?

"It shouldn't be just down to me."