Jeremy Corbyn has insisted Labour will not split as he prepares to go head to head with Owen Smith in the first hustings in the leadership contest.
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Dismissing the idea of a party split in a scathing response after setting out his 10-policy leadership vision, Mr Corbyn suggested Labour MPs who quit would be betraying the people who voted for them.
But they clashed over Britain’s nuclear deterrent, which Corbyn opposes, and whether Labour did enough to try to avert what Smith called the “unmitigated disaster” of Brexit.
Referring to the crisis engulfing the party over antisemitism in its ranks, the Welsh MP said: “I ask you, Jeremy, how has this happened?”
The audience erupted into loud cheers at the Labour leader’s remarks but were met with fury from Mr Smith.
For much of the debate, the two contenders traded promises to fight austerity, boost employment and offer protections to workers.
Smith: “Jeremy, I’m not having that because you know … that I wasn’t part of any coup in the Labour party”.
However, Mr Corbyn, who discussed the pros and cons of Europe, received a few boos from the crowd after saying Article 50 would have to be implemented. “It’s a fractured, splintered party and the only people who will benefit from that will be the Tories”. They are not Blairites.
“It’s a very great responsibility to be elected as a Labour MP to represent our party, our movement and its values”, he said.
Mr Smith was jeered by Corbyn supporters at several points after calling for unity in the party.
Smith hopes to show party members that he can do a better job than Corbyn at uniting the party and running an election campaign.
Taking quickfire questions from the audience and wider party members on Thursday evening, Corbyn said: “MPs must realise that the structure of our party has changed”.
It puts Mr Wright at odds with the grass roots Constituency Labour Party which has given its backing to Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Khan, who refused to publicly back either side for leadership delivered a thinly-veiled critique of Mr Owen’s campaigning rhetoric.
Bookies slashed the odds of Mr Corbyn being re-elected after the TV debate.
The single mum added: “Money is tight and I can ill afford to spend £25 in addition to regular membership fees I am paying in order to gain voting rights that I should have – and was promised – in any event”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t think I did say that”.
The meeting was organised by local Labour Party members with support from Momentum Teesside and chaired by Fens and Rossmere ward councillor Alan Clark.
“I think it is fair to assume that most of the astonishing number of members who have recently joined wish to vote for Corbyn”, she said.
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