Labour’s National Executive Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to decide the rules that will govern the leadership contest.
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The decision to automatically include the veteran socialist on the leadership ballot comes following almost six hours of closed door discussions, with 33 members of the NEC participating in the vote that came out in favour of Corbyn by 18 votes to 14.
Outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday drew a contrast between his Conservative Party’s orderly transition and Labour’s warring: “We got on with it. We’ve had resignation, nomination, competition and coronation – they haven’t even decided what the rules are yet”.
Britain’s biggest union has passed a motion declaring that Labour MPs should face mandatory re-selection votes at the end of each parliament.
Asked if she could understand concerns over the decision, Ms Eagle said: “It’s a matter for the NEC of the party, the ruling body of the party, to make the rules for the leadership contest”.
The incident follows repeated complaints by Labour MPs – particularly women – that they have been subjected to threats and abuse from Corbyn’s supporters if they speak out against the party leader.
The Bolton South East member was one of just 40 MPs to back Mr Corbyn in a recent no-confidence vote, which he heavily lost. However, centrists believe his left-wing policies do not appeal to the electorate. “And I am determined to win it”, she said on Twitter.
Owen Smith, the former shadow Work and Pensions Secretary who resigned from Jeremy Corbyn’s cabinet last month, has cruised past Angela Eagle in the betting odds to be the next Labour leader.
Foster, who stood as a parliamentary candidate for Camborne and Redruth past year, argued that Corbyn should not be allowed to “self-nominate and use support external to the parliamentary party to maintain his leadership”.
The decision is a major blow to the majority of Labour’s MPs who are desperate to overthrow the leader they say does not have what it takes to lead them to power.
Corbyn said that he and other lawmakers had received death threats.
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“This legal challenge is very unhelpful and destabilising to the Labour Party”, Watson said this morning.
