“I would call on Jeremy to show leadership here tonight and ask the people to stop booing Labour MPs and genuinely work with us and not encourage this or allow this to happen”, he said.
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In a high-profile intervention in the ongoing election for the next Labour leader, London mayor Sadiq Khan on Sunday appealed to party members to vote in favour of Owen Smith, who is challenging the current leader and favourite, Jeremy Corbyn.
However, the majority of MSPs and the party’s sole MP, Ian Murray, want Corbyn to go and Dugdale has said he is “not competent” to be Labour leader.
A Labour source said: “Kez has already made it pretty clear she doesn’t think Jeremy Corbyn can carry on as leader when he lost the confidence of his MPs”.
Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith have been fighting an increasingly bitter head-to-head battle for the Labour leadership since former Pensions Secretary Angela Eagle pulled out of the race on 19 July, backing Smith.
The Mayor of London has become arguably Smith’s biggest backer, with the announcement coming just months after the election that gave him the biggest personal mandate in United Kingdom political history.
And now a letter backing Mr Smith for the position has been signed by 1,000 party members, including 44 from Gwent.
Corbyn is favourite to win the leadership contest, supported by thousands of members who swept him to power previous year amid a desire for change, particularly among younger voters who face difficulty in getting jobs and owning homes.
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he can win over people who have been “tempted to vote Tory” with policies that speak to the electorate across the country. However, Khan claims he didn’t actually vote for Jeremy for leader.
Labour had campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union (EU) but Corbyn – the extreme left-wing MP who was elected leader of the main Opposition party in a landslide victory past year – was believed to be more inclined towards Brexit despite campaigning for remain.
“Since that election we have already seen what a difference Labour can make when we hold power”.
“I have been an MP in Parliament both in opposition and in government, and we change peoples lives for the better by winning elections”.
“I know from my own election – up against a nasty and divisive Tory campaign – that if we are strong and clear enough in our convictions, the message will get through to the public”, he said.
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The Labour leadership contest result will be announced on 24 September. Corbyn backed the campaign to remain in the European Union, but was criticized for lackluster campaigning.
