The Labour leader was told he has no support from his MPs, and his challenger was attacked for not having any support from the party’s members.
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That prospect appeared to move one step closer this week when the PLP voted to restore elections to the shadow Cabinet – which Ed Miliband had phased out in 2011 in favour of a system of appointments – in a move which must be ratified by Labour’s ruling NEC as well as party conference.
Labour officials wanted Mr Corbyn to help promote a speech by deputy leader Tom Watson on June 14, nine days before the referendum.
Smith accused Corbyn of failing to mention the European Union in the last two prime minister’s question times and said the United Kingdom was “clearly lied to” in the referendum.
After being asked by a member of the audience what they would do to make Jewish people feel safe in the Labour party, Mr Smith, the former shadow work and pensions secretary, said Shami Chakrabarti’s review of anti-Semitism in Labour’s ranks was viewed as inadequate by the Jewish community and he would commission a new report.
Mr Corbyn said he had been talking to Labour MPs in recent weeks and believed they would turn their fire on the Conservatives after the contest. “We put the case to remain and reform. We have to be a credible government-in-waiting and win the next election”.
“My understanding of Alasdair is that he has worked for the party and demonstrated a high level of commitment”, she said.
Speaking anonymously, one purged Scottish Labour member said: “When I was expelled neither my constituency Labour party or others had knowledge or input into the process which saw me removed from the party”.
“That’s not the leadership the Labour Party needs – it’s not leadership at all”. Some of the people around Jeremy are encouraging it.
“This includes people voting for Jeremy Corbyn and people who will not be voting for him”.
“I have spent my life opposing racism in any form”, Mr Corbyn said as he claimed the attacks were “unfair”.
In reply, Mr Fisher wrote: “We don’t politically support numerous underlying assumptions in the CEBR report (let alone necessarily its methodology and conclusions)”.
“Members who have been contacted by the Labour party to confirm they are not deemed eligible to vote can contact the party to obtain the evidence considered by the NEC”.
However, the Labour leader is setting a green agenda for his party.
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First, his team emailed BI a press release titled “Owen Smith warns the re-election of Corbyn could leave a generation without their own home” – an indictment of Corbyn’s leadership so severe it is borderline apocalyptic.
