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A plot by Jeremy Corbyn’s Left-wing supporters to oust the moderate Labour group leader in Wandsworth after the local elections is revealed today.

Momentum members were secretly recorded discussing moves to replace Simon Hogg, who is leading Labour’s campaign to take control of the flagship Conservative borough on May 3.

Moderate Labour leaders in Haringey and Newham have already been ousted by Momentum-backed rivals within the party in recent weeks.

In the Wandsworth recording, one member, John, is heard saying: “Even if it is Simon Hogg who’s leader, I think there will be a move against him whether we win or lose.”

Another activist, Norman Maclean, calls current councillors “a waste of space” and describes Mr Hogg as “weak and useless”. A Left-winger from Tooting warns: “I’m not convinced that I want this particular Labour group with these particular candidates to be running Wandsworth.”

The plotting suggests that if Labour succeeds in winning Wandsworth there could be a brutal battle for control by the Left and a possible bid to overturn Mr Hogg’s leadership.

We want certain types of Labour people in power. Hogg and Co are like Blair, we don’t want that lot in Momentum activist

Haringey’s Labour council leader, Claire Kober, announced her resignation in January after Momentum secured enough key seats in selection contests to destroy her power base.

The mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, was deselected earlier this month after 23 years in power when Momentum supporters flocked behind a challenger.

The recording of a meeting reveals that Momentum members think they are strong enough to tilt Wandsworth council further to the Left if Labour wins, even if they fail to unseat Mr Hogg. They also discussed using “demos” to force the Labour leadership to adopt more “radical” policies.

Ruth Cashman, who chairs Wandsworth Momentum, tells the meeting: “Where you go from getting a Labour council that isn’t perhaps on board with all the radical ideas ... don’t forget you’re Momentum, you can still campaign against a Labour council, I do it all the time.”

Mr Maclean, who also acts as spokesman for Wandsworth Against Cuts, tells the room that seven or eight Momentum candidates would win seats on the council, giving them leverage over the Labour group.

He says: “Now, as weak and useless as Simon Hogg is, he is not the class enemy. There will be Momentum candidates who win and we can have some influence. I agree, they have been very weak, they supported regeneration … we have always got to fight for improvement, no matter how small.”

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, denounced policies for “regeneration” in his party conference speech last year. He accused Labour councils of socially cleansing estates with developments for yuppies.

In the recording, another activist says: “Yeah, there’s a fight within the party, this is what we stand for and this is what we’re fighting for, and if you get involved and vote for these councillors, yeah there’s still going to be demos, probably demos against our own councillors.”

The other Tooting Momentum activist attacks Mr Hogg’s leadership for treating Labour activists like “complete morons” by holding back a full list of policies. She says: “This lot, they haven’t put anything out, we don’t know what they’re going to say, and they’re not going to put anything out until about a couple of days beforehand. In other words they are expecting us to be complete morons, knocking on doors telling people to vote Labour and we don’t know what they’re voting for.

“I’m not sure I’m even going to vote Labour you know, I’m in the Labour party, I’m in Momentum, I’m active and I feel utterly dissatisfied with this whole campaign.”

In a reference to the Progress organisation, which backs the centre-Left policies of former Labour leader and prime minister Tony Blair, she says: “We don’t just want Labour people in power, we want certain types of Labour people in power, we don’t want people like Blair ... this lot, Simon Hogg and co, they’re Progress, they are like Blair, you don’t just want that lot in.”

Wandsworth is a key battleground between the Conservative rulers and Labour at the local elections — and the number one target for Mr Corbyn’s party to capture. Controlled by Labour in the Sixties and early Seventies, it turned blue in 1978 and began championing value-for-money policies. It soon became Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council — a Tory flagship in a sea of Labour territory that won a reputation for tough efficiency. It championed the Right to Buy for council tenants and managed to set a zero poll tax for two years while maintaining visible services like bin collection.

In 2014, when the borough was last contested, the Tories won 41 of the 60 seats, with 19 going to Labour. Two Conservatives later went Independent, reducing the Tory majority slightly.

A Momentum national spokesman said: “Momentum will be campaigning all-out for Labour councillors across the country — including in Wandsworth.”

Paul Scully, the Tory vice-chairman for London, claimed: “This reveals just how far the hard-Left have secretly taken over Labour in Wandsworth.”

Mr Hogg told the Standard only “a small minority” of Labour activists were rocking the boat. He said: “Labour are united to win Wandsworth and end 40 years of Conservative rule. The Wandsworth Labour campaign is pleased to have the support from a broad church of people from trade unions to local businesses. Like any organisation, we’ll have a small minority of people voice concerns — our campaign is about listening to everyone. We remain solely focused on winning Wandsworth so we can begin building affordable homes, protecting school budgets and cleaning up our air.”