Labour MPs geared up for their leadership battle tonight as Tom Watson told them: "I tried to fix this and I couldn't".
The party enforcer was met with cheers and clapping as he addressed the weekly Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.
Jeremy Corbyn was not at the meeting while his leadership challenger Angela Eagle was.
But despite the warm feeling to the rebellion from some MPs, who passed a no confidence vote 172-40, the meeting was less raucous than recent weeks as fears mounted over the Tories' fresh show of strength.
Angela Eagle launches bid to oust Jeremy Corbyn and become Labour's first woman leader
Labour is facing a lengthy leadership election - and only after a possible court battle over whether Jeremy Corbyn will be on the ballot - while Theresa May settles in as Prime Minister.
In a speech described by one MP who resigned under Corbyn as 'barnstorming', deputy leader Mr Watson said his talks with unions broke down because there was no agreement over the fundamental point - whether Mr Corbyn would resign.
"I've always been told I'm a fixer," he said. "I tried to fix this and I couldn't".
He added he also had a direct mandate from members - but if he lost the confidence of the PLP, he would quit.
Mr Watson's spokesman said he led MPs in calls for a swift contest so Labour could get back to "winning the country for Labour and stopping the Tories".
Labour veteran Dennis Skinner spoke up for Jeremy Corbyn - with one Labour MP claiming: "He threatened Tom Watson with deselection!"
But an anti-Corbyn MP came out of the room saying: "Tom was good. He said quite clearly if he had lost the confidence of 80% of the PLP he would be gone"
The MP then doubled back and told journalists: "And don't forget it's more like 90% now!"
There were also speeches by Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and Shadow Defence Secretary Clive Lewis.
Disgruntled anti-Corbyn MP John Mann left Committee Room 14 in the House of Commons before the meeting finished.
"Emily Thornberry's still prattling on," he grumbled to journalists. "I've escaped."
MPs discussed Labour's defence review, which will not be published before next week - despite the Tories forcing a vote on renewing Trident.
Despite being launched six months ago, Labour's report is not finished because it is being revised in the wake of Brexit and the Chilcot Inquiry.
At another point members voiced their fury over threats of murder and rape against female colleagues.
And MPs discussed tomorrow's crunch NEC meeting at 2pm in Labour's Westminster HQ.
One source claimed the 33-strong panel will be shown legal advice commissioned by the party machine which says Jeremy Corbyn should not be on the ballot automatically.
But a second piece of advice cited by the leader's office that says he should be on is unlikely to be shown, the source claimed.
