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His party foes sense a wind of change is coming, as brisk as the breeze that blows off the Mersey.Mr Corbyn's political mortality will be widely discussed in the bars and restaurants around Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock this week.A year ago, the Labour leader appeared unassailable following his party's unexpected rise in general election votes.This autumn, after months of infighting, some of his critics are speculating his keynote speech to the conference this Wednesday may be his last. Related articles A marathon nine-hour meeting of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee held this week to discuss proposed party rule changes on candidate selection has lightened the mood among opponents of the Labour leader.A series of attempts by the Corbyn-backing Momentum faction to change party rules to allow them to purge their enemies was repeatedly rebuffed by trade union representatives."It just feels that the old party structures and alliances are reasserting themselves," one insider on Labour's moderate wing told me."The unions are telling Momentum that they are not prepared to put up with mob rule. It suddenly feels like the Corbyn era has peaked."Shadow chancellor John McDonnell (Image: GETTY)Mr Corbyn’s failure to close down the row about anti-Semitism in Labour ranks appears to have fatally undermined his authority.Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, once his closest ally, is said to be among the conspirators plotting a change of leadership - allegations that appeared last week, although they have been denied by McDonnell himself."McDonnell is on manoeuvres," said the Labour source, who felt the frontbencher's memories of his time as a councillor on the Leftdominated Greater London Council in the 1980s were fuelling desire for change of leadership."McDonnell's had a taste of power in the past and fancies it again.He fears Corbyn's problems could blow the party's chances at the next general election," the Labour insider said.Rebecca Long-Bailey is being tipped as a future party leader (Image: GETTY)The shadow ch...

Mrs May flies to Brussels today to try to persuade the leaders of the 27 EU nations to approve the draft agreement concluded by the two sides in the departure negotiations this week.Downing Street aides are braced for a long day of theatrics and tantrums as her European counterparts play to their domestic audiences with surprise demands for late insertions into the deal.A little more drama is to be expected before the Prime Minister is able to shake hands with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk. Related articles "It's like any EU summit - you never know what is going to happen," one senior Government source told me.If a vote is needed in Brussels tomorrow the EU's complex qualified majority voting system comes into play.Yet Mrs May and Mr Smith are far more focused on the calculations needed to reach 322, the number of MPs required in the Commons to guarantee a majority for the deal in the so-called "meaningful vote" promised by the Government on the outcome of the negotiations.Conservative whips are hopeful that the unity of Jacob Rees-Mogg's European Research Group of MPs will prove as brittle in the final vote as it did during the failed attempt to trigger a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister.Theresa May with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (Image: REUTERS)So far, 88 Tories have publicly threatened to vote down the deal. That figure is expected to shrink in the coming weeks as Downing Street's cajole and coerce operation gathers pace.Senior Tories accept a hard core of around 20 Eurosceptic cannot be won over to a deal that retains many of the UK's customs ties to Brussels.In a speech about the deal this week veteran MP Sir William Cash said: "Having fought against fascism and authoritarianism and for democracy in Britain and in Europe for generations, Britain cannot accept external control and jurisdiction over its own laws."With that sort of rhetoric already being sounded there appears little room for compromise.Chief ...

It seemed a curious issue for the Tory Cabinet newcomer to raise, particularly given that he is notorious in Whitehall for refusing to eat anything other than a chicken Caesar baguette for his lunch.Mr Raab's soothing words about bacon butties were the only moment of levity at his news conference yesterday.The EU Exit Secretary had little of the breezy good humour of his predecessor David Davis. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will have to get used to dealing with a very cool operator.Mr Raab demonstrated the steely intellect and lawyerly grasp of detail that has marked his rapid rise to the Cabinet.Only the occasional dab of his upper lip with his handkerchief under bright television lights in a stuffy Treasury conference room gave a hint of any nerves as he took on the task of unveiling the Government plans for a breakdown in the talks with Brussels.He dealt politely with a string of questions from his audience about supposed catastrophic consequences of leaving without a deal, striking a firm but reassuring tone.As the news conference ended shortly after noon, Mr Raab strode purposely out of the room. Perhaps he was heading off for a well deserved sandwich lunch.