The first Labour leadership debate has been dominated by shouting and booing in a feisty showdown between the two candidates.
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Addressing Smith, he said: “The party is growing massively in membership: that must stand for something”.
Mr McDonnell said there had been a “pressurised” discussion with a group of MPs and he had “immediately” put out a statement saying he did not support a split. All Labour has done is shout about how it has been her party’s fault, rather than trying to represent Britain’s Left-wingers as Brexit takes shape.
Last night Tory MP Chris Philp said: “The hypocrisy of the Labour Party and its leader claiming it will tackle tax dodging whilst avoiding paying up themselves is extraordinary”.
“It’s the principle of the job to forge a powerful alliance in the party, in the country and at Westminster”, he said. Jeremy, I’m afraid, has not been able to hold us together.
“Jeremy never wants power for himself, he wants people to empower themselves”.
“When we work together we win; when we work together we do defeat the Tories”, he said, before accusing lawmakers opposed to him of being “silly and childish”.
Reflecting on his own few months in office he said whoever wins must have the capacity to take the party back into Government.
But Smith, 46, has strong support among Labour MPs, who argue that Corbyn – a veteran anti-war and anti-nuclear campaigner who has never held high office – can not beat Prime Minister Theresa May’s governing centre-right Conservatives at the next election.
He said the next leader will have to heal the party as splits do not lead to victory at General Elections any sooner.
He went on: “I didn’t resign from the shadow cabinet on that Sunday, I went to see you Jeremy, I went to see you Jeremy and you know that I came to see you to say not ‘can I resign?’, but to say ‘how do we get out of that problem?'”
The two contenders traded promises to fight austerity, boost employment and offer protections to workers.
Mr Smith said: “We’ve got food and water and all that”.
Tensions rose as the pair were questioned about what they would do to stamp out anti-Semitism as leader, with both men facing heckles from the audience.
But Mr Corbyn refused to step down, insisting that he had a mandate from the hundreds of thousands of supporters who voted him in.
It is open to all Labour members who joined the party on or before 12 January 2016.
‘The neglect of our country must end we need a Labour government that rebuilds and transforms Britain, ‘ he continued.
Jeremy Corbyn has set out a 10-point programme for Britain’s future, based on a huge public investment programme and a commitment to equality.
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Stephen Cragg QC, appearing for the five, asked Mr Justice Hickinbottom, sitting in London, to declare that party rules had been misapplied and the five are entitled to vote in the September 24 poll.
