Smith, a former shadow work and pensions secretary, confirmed on Wednesday that he intends to stand against Jeremy Corbyn in Labour’s upcoming leadership election.
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Corbyn’s opponents insisted that to be included on the ballot, he would need backing from at least 51 Labour Party members of the British Parliament or the European Parliament, EFE news agency reported.
Most Labour MPs have deserted the left-wing leader but he remains confident of grassroots membership support.
The Opposition leader said he was “delighted” that the secret vote of the ruling National Executive Committee went in his favour after hours of discussions at the party’s headquarters in central London.
He said the leadership campaign, in which he would fight “on all the things that matter”, from inequality and poverty to improving opportunities, would strengthen Labour.
Deputy party leader Tom Watson called Foster’s legal challenge “very unhelpful and destabilizing”.
Ms Eagle said: “I’m glad Labour’s NEC has come to a decision”.
Grassroots Labour members on the Fylde coast are calling for unity in the party which is now in the midst of a leadership crisis.
Angela Eagle has already launched her campaign to try to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader. “And I am determined to win it”.
“Whoever wins the leadership contest is nearly certainly going to divide the party further”, Brian Klaas, a fellow in comparative politics at the London School of Economics, told AFP.
“Well, MPs have made an honest assessment of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and have been straight in expressing their concerns”.
Pro-Corbyn group Momentum claimed the six-month cutoff was “a Labour subcommittee making up rules to get the result they want”.
But Corbyn retains strong support among the party’s more left-leaning rank-and-file members, meaning that he could hold on to power and prolong the stand-off with MPs.
A spokesperson for the former shadow minister said a brick had been thrown through the window of the office either overnight or on Tuesday morning.
A statement released by the constituency party says: “This constituency expresses deep concern over the apparent disregard shown by some members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), towards democracy in our party”.
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Eagle, however, has blamed the vandalism and threats on Corbyn.
