Jeremy Corbyn’s odds of keeping the Labour leadership in the September 24 party election have improved dramatically since rival Angela Eagle dropped out of the race on Tuesday.
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Ms Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, announced she was throwing her weight behind Mr Smith in his challenge to Jeremy Corbyn.
Embattled UK Labour party head Jeremy Corbyn is likely to win the party’s leadership election but without the support of his fellow members of parliament, Brendan Chilton, general secretary of Labour Leave campaign group and a local party leader, told Sputnik on Wednesday.
“That’s what we need in a leader and that’s why I’m nominating Owen Smith”, she said.
“I am supporting Owen with all my enthusiasm and might”, said Eagle, who was the first challenger to come forward earlier this month.
Mr Smith has received 88 nominations from Labour MPs and two from MEPs in the party’s leadership contest, clearing the hurdle of 51 nominations to become a candidate. His backers included former party leader Ed Miliband and former foreign minister Margaret Beckett.
If members keep Corbyn, despite nearly three-fourths of his MPs voting against him, clearly the Labour Party has no unity.
In another clear pitch to the left of the party, Smith also pledged to debate Corbyn in a “comradely, kind, gentle fashion”.
If they all make it through a vetting process, Labour will benefit from a £4.6 million windfall.
In a poll this week, it was suggested that Mr Corbyn would comfortably beat him with 56 per cent of the grassroot membership still backing the incumbent.
According to Labour’s website, Smith gathered 90 nominations. They are offering odds of 4/11 on Mr Corbyn staying on as leader, and 2/1 on Owen Smith taking over.
“In my campaign I want to confront all five of those ills head on, setting out not only how Labour will campaign against these injustices in opposition but also spelling out some of the measures the next Labour government will take to overcome them”.
There were signs that Corbyn’s campaign may seek to target Mr Smith’s past as a lobbyist for USA drug company Pfizer, when he was quoted as speaking out in favour of choice in healthcare.
The Bolton actress was unequivocal in her support of Mr Corbyn.
During the interview Ms Chakrabarti also confirmed that she had taken evidence from Mr Corbyn as part of her inquiry.
“The Conservative Party will be spending those months bringing the country together”.
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In a jibe over the Labour leader’s comments to David Cameron about unscrupulous employers, Mrs May said Labour MPs would be familiar with a “boss who exploits the rules”.
