Corbyn retains strong support among the party’s rank-and-file members, meaning that if he does make the ballot paper he could hold on to power and prolong the stand-off with MPs.
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“It doesn’t really go with Jeremy Corbyn’s gentler politics and, while I don’t know if it was a Corbyn supporter who bricked Angela’s office, it’s not down to one side, it’s down to the toxic atmosphere created in politics through the issues in the Labour Party and in the fallout from Brexit”. “It is bullying, it has absolutely no place in politics in the United Kingdom and it needs to end”.
Earlier Merseyside Police confirmed that they were investigating a complaint of criminal damage after a brick was thrown through the window of the office of the Wallasey Constituency Labour Party (CLP), where Ms Eagle is MP.
Ms Eagle said: “There were many things that didn’t work, I won’t go into great detail here – parallel organisations, reading about the brief that you are meant to be representing in the newspapers because somebody has written a speech without talking to you about it, constant cancelled meetings with (shadow chancellor) John McDonnell, no liaison at all”.
“Angela has been referred to as a dyke, a traitor, a Tory, (and told) that she should resign”, he said.
The former shadow work and pensions secretary told the Guardian the public will want to see the deal, adding: “And then we should give them another chance”.
“Join us in this battle, let us win the Labour Party back”.
“It is extremely concerning that Angela Eagle has been the victim of a threatening act and that other MPs are receiving abuse and threats”, he said in a statement.
“As someone who has also received death threats this week and previously, I am calling on all Labour Party members and supporters to act with calm and treat each other with respect and dignity, even where there is disagreement”.
“I utterly condemn any violence or threats, which undermine the democracy within our party and have no place in our politics”.
“That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear”.
But Wallasey MP Ms Eagle urged his opponents to take advantage of rules that mean they have two days next week to become registered supporters, a one-off status that gives them a vote if they pay £25 – far higher than the £3 fee many Corbyn backers paid in the leadership contest past year.
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Ms Eagle now faces a major battle to overturn his support among the grassroots.
