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Tom Watson (Labour politician) Quotes

Thomas Anthony Watson, Baron Watson of Wyre Forest is a British politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2019. A Member of the House of Lords since 2022, he was Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East from 2001 to 2019.

Born in Sheffield, Watson was raised in Kidderminster where he was educated at King Charles I School. He first became involved in Labour Party and trade union activism when studying at the University of Hull and was chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1992 to 1993. After working in marketing and advertising, he began working full-time for the Labour Party, including on its 1997 general election campaign, and then for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.

Elected MP for West Bromwich East at the 2001 general election, Watson was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans from May to September 2006 and Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009. In October 2011, Ed Miliband appointed him as the Labour Party's National Campaign Coordinator and Deputy Chair. He resigned from both roles in July 2013, following a controversy over the selection of a new parliamentary candidate for Falkirk.

On 12 September 2015, Watson was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, alongside new leader Jeremy Corbyn, gaining 198,962 votes or 50.7%, including second preference votes from those who voted for other candidates. Following the conviction of Carl Beech in July 2019 for making false allegations of paedophilia, Watson was criticised by high-profile victims and their relatives for his role in the affair. On 6 November 2019, Watson announced that he would be standing down both as an MP and as Deputy Leader, and leave office on 12 December 2019, stating that his reasons for standing down were "personal, not political". He later admitted that he had voted for Owen Smith in the 2016 leadership election. In March 2020, he was appointed chair of UK Music and later that year was made a senior adviser on problem gambling to Flutter Entertainment. Wikipedia  

✵ 8. January 1967
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Tom Watson (Labour politician): 12 quotes0 likes

Famous Tom Watson (Labour politician) Quotes

“We've got to eradicate anti-Semitism, anti-Jewish racism in all its forms [and] for us to address that now, I think he needs to take a personal lead on examining those cases and if necessary, recommend it to our NEC (National Executive Committee) what needs to be done.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Jeremy Corbyn must take &#x27;personal lead&#x27; on anti-Semitism - Watson https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47348617 BBC News (24 February 2019) <br class="br">2019

“By backing a people's vote, by backing remain, I am sure we can deliver the Labour government the people of this country so badly need,”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Labour party conference: Corbyn plays down divisions amid aide&#x27;s exit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49786833 BBC News (22 September 2019) <br class="br">2019

“There eventually comes a point when circumstances are so changed, when so much new information has emerged that we didn't have in 2016, when so many people feel differently to how they felt then, that you have to say, no... the only proper way to proceed in such circumstances is to consult the people again.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit: Labour deputy Tom Watson calls for referendum ahead of election https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49657006 BBC News (11 September 2019) <br class="br">2019

“There is no such thing as a good Brexit deal, which is why I believe we should advocate for Remain. That is what the overwhelming majority of Labour Party members, MPs and trade unions believe.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit: Labour deputy Tom Watson calls for referendum ahead of election https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49657006 BBC News (11 September 2019) <br class="br">2019

“Pro-European is who we are and who we have always been. Our members are Remain. Our values are Remain. Our hearts are Remain.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit: &#x27;High price to pay&#x27; for Labour stance, says Watson https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48658683 BBC News (17 June 2019) <br class="br">2019

“It is my honestly held view that Parliament will not be able to get a deal on Brexit and therefore the only choice, reluctantly, is to ask the people to take another look at it.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit: &#x27;High price to pay&#x27; for Labour stance, says Watson https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48658683 BBC News (17 June 2019) <br class="br">2019

Tom Watson (Labour politician) Quotes

“We are a remain and reform party.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit: Cross-party deal must include new referendum - Sir Keir Starmer https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48245499 BBC News (13 May 2019) <br class="br">2019

“Our position is we want a confirmatory ballot. It's very difficult for us to move off that because I don't think our party would forgive us if we signed off on Tory Brexit without that kind of concession.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Brexit talks: Will Labour push a public vote option? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47817325 BBC News (4 April 2019) <br class="br">2019

Tom Watson (Labour politician) quote: “I feel great. I feel absolutely fantastic. Chilled out, I feel like my IQ has gone up. I feel younger. It's a great feeling.”

“I feel great. I feel absolutely fantastic. Chilled out, I feel like my IQ has gone up. I feel younger. It's a great feeling.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Labour&#x27;s Tom Watson &#x27;reversed&#x27; type-2 diabetes through diet and exercise https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45495384 BBC News (13 September 2018) <br class="br">2018

“And you know, woe betide politicians that don't listen to what voters tell them. You know, I think a future Europe will have to look at things like the free movement of labour rules.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Labour&#x27;s Tom Watson: EU free movement rules must change https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36523759 BBC News (14 June 2016) <br class="br">2016

“The Labour Party is about as united as it possibly can be in asking people to Remain.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

EU referendum: Labour urges its voters not to back Brexit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36496288 BBC News (10 June 2016) <br class="br">2016

“The EU invests £11bn a year on manufacturing innovation programmes of which 15% are invested here in the UK.”

Tom Watson (Labour politician)

Reality Check: Does the UK get 15% of EU R&amp;D funding? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35998394 BBC News (8 April 2016) <br class="br">2016

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