“The Tories have resolved one problem, the successor to David Cameron and Labour is now in the throes of a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn”.
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Labour is now facing a leadership battle, between Corbyn and either Angela Eagle or Owen Smith.
“We need to have a strong and united Labour Party so that we can be a good opposition, take the fight to the Conservative government and heal our country”, she said.
Smith, who had quit as shadow work and pensions secretary from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet last month, had announced his candidature for the leadership election last week.
Mr Smith’s emergence as the sole challenger to Mr Corbyn comes after weeks of turmoil within the party following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, which triggered a mass walkout from the shadow cabinet and an emphatic vote of no confidence in Mr Corbyn by his MPs.
But in refusing to resign Corbyn has cited strong support among grassroots members.
The National splashed with the news that Mr Smith and Mr Corbyn will go “head to head” for the leadership of the UK-wide Labour party after Angela Eagle withdrew from the race.
Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Selly Oak, said: “What we need is somebody to rescue the Labour Party and Owen is equipped to do that”.
While Labour MPs are in open revolt against their leader, there is little evidence that his passionate support among the party rank and file is fading.
In The Times/YouGov survey of 1,019 Labour members, 44% said they would definitely vote for Corbyn in the upcoming election. Corbyn says he has the mandate of the wider membership of the Labour Party, who voted him in in September 2015. “I think it’s right that I withdraw from this race and support Owen”.
Owen Smith, who is set to stand against Corbyn alone, is the LEAST popular of the lot.
Last week a brick was thrown through the window of Angela Eagle’s constituency office following the announcement she will stand against the Islington North MP for leader.
The Guardian understands that the two camps received the names half an hour before the 5pm publication point, with Eagle’s team taking the decision to pull out of the race because of the disparity. It marks a new low in the splits within the party, with Corbyn representing the left-wing anti-war agenda against the majority of Labour MPs who were elected on a center-ground ticket in 2015.
A total of 88 MPs, including former Labour leader Ed Miliband, backed Mr Smith it was revealed. She is a pioneer for women in the Labour Party and a great leader of Labour.
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“Labour isn’t fated to be a disunited party arguing with each other”.
