Former shadow work and pensions secretary Smith will now go forward to fight Corbyn in a ballot of party members and supporters which ends on September 24.
Advertisement
Mr Corbyn has threatened to sue the Labour Party over the controversial decision to charge new members £25 to vote, which is widely believed to be a move to prevent his supporters from having a say.
Thangam Debbonaire, who was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, made the allegations in a post on social media.
“We’ve finished the first day of nominations”.
Ms Ashby disputed the NEC’s accusation, arguing the people she meant to distribute the money to had already purchased £3 party memberships before the rules change, proving they were not unwilling to buy memberships, just unable to afford the new higher charge.
But she bowed to pressure to drop out after trailing Mr Smith in nominations from MPs.
“Owen Smith has a lead and I think it’s in the best interests of the Labour Party that we have one candidate. So I am announcing tonight that I will be supporting Owen in that endeavour with all of my enthusiasm and might”, she said.
She added: “I was then faced with the choice of telling the truth – that he had made a series of errors and inevitably thereby face a pile of criticism from his supporters – or say I had changed my mind about accepting the role and thereby face a pile of criticism from his supporters”.
“I will want Angela by my side during this contest that’s coming over the summer, and in the years that follow. I see it as a very hard challenge for him to face”. He is regarded as being politically to the left of the former shadow business secretary.
While Labour MPs are in open revolt against their leader, there is little evidence that his passionate support among the party rank and file is fading.
In the statement on Facebook she said: “Mr Corbyn appointed me and press released this without my knowledge or consent whilst I was in the middle of cancer treatment”. “We are going to be in lockstep together arguing for an effective, united Labour party doing its job as Her Majesty’s Opposition in opposing this government”.
John McDonnell has apologised for calling Labour MPs who are trying to oust Jeremy Corbyn “f***ing useless”.
Insisting Labour was not the only divided party in the Commons, he said: “The Tories are just as divided as we are”. We have a Labour party that is not working.
“How can I support a Labour leader who doesn’t want to form a Labour government above everything?”
Ms Onn said she felt Mr Smith’s message and vision would resonate with her South Humber constituents.
Eagle triggered the leadership contest when she launched her candidacy last Monday, following weeks of discussion of a possible contender, during which hers was the name mentioned most frequently.
But she said: “I won’t be crossing the floor any time soon, I can guarantee you that”.
This happens until one candidate reaches more than 50%.
He paid tribute to Mr Corbyn for helping Labour rediscover its roots but made clear it was now time for the party to be “credible” in the eyes of ordinary voters again.
“But we are all grown-ups, and some of us will put aside our own personal feelings, as Angela did today”.
“I promised Jeremy I wouldn’t appear on any stand-up comedy events or make any more jokes and I’d behave myself and I let him down I’m afraid, so I’m extremely contrite about that”. But didn’t bother to tell me that either.
Corbyn has said he will win the leadership election, despite losing the support of the majority of his MPs in a confidence vote following the Brexit referendum.
Advertisement
” It took my boss Maria Eagle to explain to him that, as he was leade, r he could re appoint me if that was what he wanted”.
