AFTER the love-in that was the Liberal Democrat conference by the placid sea at Bournemouth, choppier waters are already washing in the political bile on day one of Labour’s family get-together at Brighton.

Talk about self-destruction. A general election is probably just weeks away, opinion polls are, despite all the Brexit turmoil, putting Boris Johnson’s Tories well ahead - one today has them an astonishing 15 points clear, 37 points to 22 - and a survey has placed Jeremy Corbyn as the least popular Labour leader in modern times. With a net minus-60 rating he is even below Michael Foot, which takes some doing.

This morning there is talk that Andrew Fisher, one of the Corbyn’s inner circle as head of policy, who wrote the party’s last manifesto, has quit, reportedly denouncing in a leaked memo the leader’s team for its "lack of professionalism, competence and human decency".

He claimed a “class war” had gripped the upper echelons of the party and bemoaned the “blizzard of lies and excuses” flying around.

Saturday was dominated by the remarkable move by the Labour Puritans Of Momentum, demanding the removal of the rebel Social Democrat Tom Watson as deputy leader for being too oppositional to Mr Corbyn’s pure form of Socialism.

One Momentum source noted: "We just can't afford to go into an election with a deputy leader set on wrecking Labour's chances."

A Shadow Cabinet minister observed that Momentum’s move was an attempt to “secure the succession,” suggesting “we have passed the high-water mark of Corbynism”.

Indeed, there were mutterings that the 70-year-old Leader of the Opposition was eyeing his exit, fed up with the constant pressures of the job.

The Midlands MP himself derided the blatant left-wing bid to oust him from the party leadership, declaring: “It's a straight sectarian attack on a broad church party."

Other senior Labour figures like former leaders Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband all rallied behind Mr Watson. Ben Bradshaw, the former Culture Secretary, let out a cry of exasperation, calling the move to oust Mr Watson by Momentum Chief Jon Lansman “totally f***ing insane”.

After the surprise move at the party’s ruling body, the NEC, on Friday night, Mr Corbyn on Saturday stepped in and called for a review of the deputy leader’s role in an attempt to defuse the row for now.

But when asked if he had confidence in his deputy, Mr Corbyn responded by saying: “Tom Watson is the deputy leader of the party and I enjoy working with him." Which everyone can see is code for: no.

Indeed, Mr Corbyn sought to play down the poisonous atmosphere, insisting the NEC had met in a “happy and united mood”.

It was not as if Labour’s conference was not going to have enough stormy waters without the thunder and lightning provided by Mr Lansman.

Brexit, as ever, permeates all parties and is set to dominate the entire conference season.

Mr Corbyn has yet again incensed many within and without his party by continuing his equivocal approach, saying that if he ever makes it into No 10 he would offer the public a choice between a “credible” Leave option, ie a new and improved Brexit deal with the EU, and Remain.

A policy statement put forward by the Labour leader to the NEC sets out a plan for a future Labour government to reach a deal with Brussels within three months of taking office, which would then be put to a referendum within six months.

Labour's own stance in that referendum would be settled in a special conference after a general election. So that means, during the election campaign, which will, of course, be dominated by Brexit, Labour’s position will be to tell the public: wait and see. For some, this is Mr Corbyn not showing leadership but followership.

Brighton’s local Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a pro-Corbyn MP, said the party was being “hammered on the doorstep because our Brexit position is a fudge”.

He complained: “In every seat in the country, Leave and Remain, we are losing votes because our voters are turning to Remain parties. This conference is our one chance before an election to get out of the fudge.”

Scores of motions have been submitted to the party conference calling for Labour to back Remain and campaigners fear the NEC statement - which has yet to be signed off - would shut down debate on the issue.

Indeed, Clive Lewis, told the first day of conference: "We, the Left, took over the leadership of this party promising internal democracy, promising a new kind of politics.

"And yet here we are, with a leadership apparently determined to shut down democratic debate on the crucial issue of the day, probably relying on union bloc votes to outvote the members.

"It's not what we signed up for. We now need to rally on the conference floor; if it passes, delegates should mobilise to vote against the NEC statement so the Brexit motions can be heard and democratically debated."

All the senior Shadow Cabinet figures around Mr Corbyn - Mr Watson, John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Sir Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary - have all made clear, irrespective of Labour’s new deal, they would campaign for Remain.

Indeed, the same pro-Remain position has been adopted by the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish Labour parties.

Mr Watson was cheered by supporters as he arrived at Brighton train station, describing the unedifying start to the Labour conference as “ridiculous” and “totally unnecessary”.

“I just hope that we can unify around a positive vision for the country for the rest of the week,” he added.

But underlying the sense of disunity, Len McCluskey, head of Unite the Union, one of Mr Corbyn’s closest colleagues, told a Morning Star fringe event: "We need unity between our leaders. I hope Tom Watson is listening.”

And he took a swipe at Labour MPs who had expressed a lack of confidence in their leader, saying: “I often think to myself if Jeremy hadn’t been knifed in the back by some of our own, then he would’ve been in No 10."

Yet the push for Labour to swing behind Remain will be made again and again in the coming days.

Addressing the Trust the People rally in Brighton on Saturday, Sir Keir said: "I have to admit a year or so ago I wasn't sure that a referendum was the right way out but now I'm utterly convinced it's the only way out.”

Ms Thornberry told the rally that Labour should in fact lead the bid to Remain when a second poll took place. Addressing press reports that Labour Shadow Cabinet members were looking to back Britain staying in the EU, she declared: "No sh*t Sherlock."

Wearing a blue outfit with a necklace of gold stars - a reference to the EU flag - Ms Thornberry added: "We all say no, no, no to Brexit."

On Sunday, there will be more NEC discussions on what Brexit motion should go forward for debate with a vote on the conference floor slated for Monday.

Hold onto your kiss-me-quick hats. Labour’s seaside Brexit storm is gathering.