Sketch: Corbyn's critics stay in the land they love

FERRY, cross the Mersey, '˜cause this land's the place I love, and here I'll stay.
Labour is trying to mount a show of unity after Jeremy Corbyn's re-electionLabour is trying to mount a show of unity after Jeremy Corbyn's re-election
Labour is trying to mount a show of unity after Jeremy Corbyn's re-election

So sang Gerry and the Pacemakers in their lovesong to Liverpool and in a conference venue overlooking the famous river, Labour members are singing a similar tune.

Labour is the land we love and here we’ll stay is the emerging theme of this get-together.

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With the result of the leadership election long forecast, Jeremy Corbyn’s critics have had plenty of time to rehearse their response.

The reality for Mr Corbyn’s opponents within the party is that his victory with the support of 62 per cent of voting members has seen off any hope of unseating him for a long time.

So there is little alternative for them but to join the chorus of calls for all parts of Labour to join together and “fight the Tories”.

There is nothing that unites parties more than their opponents forecasting their demise and there is a sense that the widespread forecasts that the Labour conference would be a political bloodbath has only succeeded in galvanising all sections into doing all they can to defy expectations.

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But the tensions are never far from the surface and in the corridors and bars the conversation among those who wanted to see the back of Mr Corbyn quickly turns to the question of what happens next.

Because vowing unity and focusing on opposing the Government is only a sticking plaster.

With every policy that emerges from team Corbyn will come fresh concerns from his critics.

And as the General Election approaches, in the absence of a dramatic turnaround in the opinion polls many Labour MPs will fear Mr Corbyn’s leadership is putting their seat at risk.

As Gerry and the Pacemakers sang: “Life goes on day after day. Hearts torn in every way.”