Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson says the party must now unite after surviving a coup attempt against him.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, he said: “We should be fighting the Tories, not each other.”
Labour ’s ruling NEC rapidly pulled back from a motion by Momentum founder Jon Lansman to abolish the role of deputy leader.
But many fear the row has overshadowed the conference.
Mr Watson added: “Jon Lansman’s botched coup has undermined not just me, but this whole conference, the Labour Party, and Jeremy. I don’t think Momentum or any other delegates will thank Jon for miring the conference in factionalism.
“I hope the conference can now unite around fighting the real enemy — Boris Johnson and the Tories.”
One Labour source said: “I’d like to say I’d never seen anything like it. But we do this every time, although this one is pretty spectacular.”
On Friday night, the party’s NEC allowed a motion from Mr Lansman to abolish the post of deputy leader.
But a furious backlash forced a U-turn after interventions from Tony Blair and Ed Miliband, and MPs’ threats of a leadership election.
Ex-PM Tony Blair said: “A decision to abolish the post of deputy leader would be dangerous.
“This shows a quite extraordinary level of destructive sectarianism.”
Leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to confirm when he first knew about the attempt to topple his deputy.
Mr Watson said: “It’s a sleight-of-hand change to do a drive-by shooting of someone you disagree with on the issue of the day.
“If people want to remove me, let the members remove me rather than having a secret paper at a meeting at the last minute.
“It wasn’t on the agenda, there were no papers tabled. I got a text in a Chinese restaurant in Manchester to say they were abolishing me.”
The party’s ruling National Executive Committee drew back from an immediate vote.
But after an intervention by Mr Corbyn, the party will review the role’s future.
A source said: “Jeremy Corbyn proposed instead that there be a review. This will consider how accountability can be strengthened to give members a greater say.”
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Corbyn declared he is in favour of having two deputies .
One source said the coup achieved “partial success” by putting the job up for review.
But others said it had only made the next few days a story of Labour infighting.
A senior source said: “We have so much good stuff on the agenda and this is going to overshadow it all. It’s kamikaze politics.”
Arriving to cheers at Brighton station, Mr Watson said: “We’re here to fight Boris Johnson, to outline our vision — it’s been undermined on day one.”
