Mr. Corbyn has so few supportive MPs in Parliament he can not even form a shadow cabinet, and has been unable to secure the backing of the 51 MPs needed to get on the ballot paper in a new leadership contest.
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On Tuesday evening the National Executive Committee voted by 18-14 that Corbyn would automatically be on the ballot – which is lucky for him as there is a good chance he would not have secured the necessary MP votes otherwise.
“Moderate” candidate Mrs. Eagle, the MP for Wallasey, launched her leadership bid yesterday, claiming that “Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership that this party needs”.
Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Corbyn told a crowd of journalists and supporters: “So I’m on the ballot paper. and we will be campaigning on all the things that matter”.
Corbyn is bringing back to Labour class politics discourse, promising to fight against the privatization of the National Health Service and income disparities.
“As someone who has also received death threats this week and previously, I am calling on all Labour Party members and supporters to act with calm and treat each other with respect and dignity, even where there is disagreement”, he said.
“The fact he did so shows the contempt with which he views the majority of elected Labour MPs”, said Mr Blenkinsop.
Reaching the target of 51 would have been by no means certain as many of his MPs recently voted against him in a no-confidence motion.
Following a wave of resignations from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet after what was perceived as a lackluster performance by the Labour leader during the European Union referendum campaign, which the “Remain” camp lost, Corbyn has been challenged for the leadership by Angela Eagle, the former Shadow First Secretary of State.
She said she welcomed the contest and is determined to win.
But Mr Corbyn also said he hoped there would not be a legal challenge to the NEC decision.
On Tuesday the party ruled he had the automatic right to stand in the contest without needing to be nominated by lawmakers.
The timetable for the contest will be published on Thursday but reports suggest it will run well into September.
The Exeter politician publicly urged Corbyn to call off his “Momentum thugs” following the attack and said condemnations were not enough.
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Mr Foster, who once stood as the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle in Cornwall, said: “I’m simply concerned that this is an important issue”.
