Tom Watson paves way for Jeremy Corbyn to push Labour reforms

Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, stayed away from a crucial meeting of the party’s ruling body in a show of deference to Jeremy Corbyn, privately telling the Labour leader that he would no longer stand in the way of party reform.Watson is understood to believe that the general election result, in which Labour outperformed expectations, had given Corbyn political authority, which he may use to boost the strength of those on the left of the party.Watson has clashed with Corbyn&rsquo