LABOUR plunged into civil war on the eve of conference as Jeremy Corbyn ganged up with union barons to savage Sir Keir Starmer.
Firing off a volley of attacks ahead of a crucial few days for the party, Mr Corbyn said Labour is facing its biggest “crisis” in 50 years.
He accused Sir Keir of trying to “sideline” unions and members by proposing a rule change which would hand more power to MPs – who tend to be moderate.
Meanwhile the proposed rule change – a crucial test of Sir Keir’s authority – looked all but dead as unions were still refusing to back it in last ditch talks.
Turning the screw on his successor, Mr Corbyn – who was booted out of the parliamentary party but is still a Labour member – said: “We meet at a time of great change and crisis, perhaps larger than any other time in my 50 plus years of party membership.
“But the signs are that the party leadership wants to try to shut down debate, sideline the members and trade unions with the end result that Labour props up rather than challenges our broken political and economic system.”
Fellow Cobynista MPs also sharpened their knives for Sir Keir.
Diane Abbott swiped: “If he is successful in scrapping one person one vote for Labour leadership elections, Keir Starmer is in effect telling party members that they can never have a leader who believes in the things that they believe in.”
It came as Labour deputy Angela Rayner vowed to hand the party’s union paymasters 1970s style sweeping powers.
She will today say that Labour will return the country to sectoral collective bargaining – where unions are given vast powers to demand standards of pay and conditions for workers across an entire sector rather than office to office.
She said: “The next Labour government will bring together representatives of workers and employers to agree Fair Pay Agreements that will apply to every worker in each sector, starting in social care.
“Fair Pay Agreements will drive up pay, improve conditions in the workplace and stop bad bosses from exploiting their workers and driving down pay and standards for everyone.
“When Labour is in government there won’t just be a former social care worker and shop steward in the office of Deputy Prime Minister, working people will have a seat at the Cabinet table and their voices will be heard.
“The next Labour government will end poverty wages and insecure work for good.”
