However after Labour members over-turned the National Executive Committee’s order that stopped new members from voting, Mr Smith is asking for more time to speak to supporters.
Advertisement
It comes a year after the group – which combines votes from both Northampton north and Northampton south – voted for Yvette Cooper to become the leader of the party.
Mr Coleman warned that if Mr Corbyn leads Labour into the next election, the party would be defeated “to the same level as in 1931”. Whoever emerges as their new leader will want to act quickly to make inroads into this Conservative poll lead and address concerns about the party’s future.
“They are caucusing and factionalising and putting pressure where they can, and that’s how Trotsky entryists operate”.
Certainly the response that Labour MPs are getting from their memberships so far – and the bulk of CLP nominations for Corbyn – suggest that Smith may be able to keep his nomination as a consolation prize after a defeat.
The 600,000-strong GMB, which is one of the largest donors to the Labour Party, has yet to officially back Mr Smith as a result of the ballot.
Smith also challenged the Labour leader’s commitment to staying in the European Union (EU), saying Corbyn had not fought “anywhere near hard enough” to remain.
“What I’ve seen is lots of enthusiastic people, not all of them young, joining the Labour Party”. Sooner or later, that always ends up in disaster.
Today the Labour Party is back in court for the third time in a month as an appeal to the decision to give 130,000 new members a vote is ruled on. “Members listened carefully to what everyone had to say”.
A Labour Party supporter later said on social media: “It was an very bad meeting though and I hate voting the same way as people who defend antisemites and shout over women”.
“They see the Labour Party as a vehicle for revolutionary socialism, and they’re not remotely interested in winning elections, and that’s a problem”.
“Jeremy Corbyn has a proper moral attitude”.
The vote was 60% in favour of Mr Smith and 40% for Mr Corbyn. Smith’s team has called for a two-week extension to the contest following a court ruling that Labour can not stop new members from taking part.
Advertisement
About 230 member of the Constituency Labour Party attended the Wednesday meeting, with around 150 queuing for a place outside, on a night that saw 266 people vote for Corbyn, while 100 voted for Smith.
