In a speech aimed at wooing supporters of Corbyn to back his bid to oust the leader, Smith announced plans to appoint a cabinet-level minister to deliver fair employment, end the public sector pay freeze and outlaw zero-hours contracts.
Advertisement
But he has not offered concrete spending targets like Mr Smith’s 4 per cent extra for health and social care, or the pledge to match NHS funding to the European average within the first term of a Labour government.
“The people who are talking of a split are the hard left”.
However, Corbyn has argued that there is no alternative to the Labour Party in its current form, as he denied that his leadership would trigger a split.
With virtually no support within the Labour membership and wider population, the coup plotters are playing to their strength by preparing to remove Corbyn through various parliamentary manoeuvres and legal means.
Much like past year, there are expected to be many hustings and rallies – but regular constituency Labour Party meetings are banned.
She, along with her fellow Bristol Labour MPs, has since had campaign funds and support withdrawn by the local Communication Workers Union, based in Lawrence Hill.
Corbyn was joined by Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram and NEC candidate Rhea Wolfson and also read messages of support from Liverpool-born shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
Mr Corbyn said: “I think it has happened because we were seen to be accepting austerity both in 2010 and 2015”.
Labour MPs might not like it, but if Mr Corbyn is re-elected with an overwhelming majority, they may have little option.
Some believe the 116-year-old party could split if bookmakers’ favourite Corbyn is re-elected.
“Jeremy is a leader for the millions, not the millionaires, and the CWU is proud to support him”.
He added: “People want transparency and a leader with integrity, something that has been lacking in British politics for a long time”.
“Just as it was morally wrong to smear hundreds of thousands of striking miners and Women Against Pit Closures activists in this way in 1984/5, it is morally wrong to dismiss and demonise hundreds of thousands of Labour Party members in this way in 2016”, he stated.
“He’s good to speak to a crowd of people – well done Jeremy – but what people need to see in the Labour Party are hustings involving the two candidates”. However, the capacity of my party to unite, reconfigure, cohere and keep moving forward without all out civil war is astonishing: like that of a political Doctor Who.
Advertisement
“The state of the Labour party is shocking”.
