The NEC has set a January 12 cut-off date for new Labour members to have the right to vote in the upcoming leadership election, effectively blocking more than 100,000 who have joined the party since the European Union referendum from taking part.
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Neil Findlay, the left-wing MSP who ran Mr Corbyn’s first leadership campaign in Scotland, will convene a meeting of grassroots supporters in Glasgow on July 17 to prepare their campaign to fight the leadership challenge sparked by a vote of no confidence by 172 Labour MPs.
Owen Smith, Corbyn’s former work and pensions policy chief, said he had hoped the situation could be resolved without a “damaging, divisive contest” but despite three meetings with Corbyn, had failed to persuade him of an alernative route.
Mr Corbyn has dismissed the claims, insisting he is “going nowhere” and intends to honour the mandate given to him by 59.5% of party members in last September’s leadership election.
His opponents had called for him to be nominated by party lawmakers in order to join the contest.
In response to the move Labour MP Jess Phillips, who resigned as a ministerial aide over Mr Corbyn’s leadership, told the Mirror: “I wonder if Unite would back the same for their workers”. But the atmosphere between the Labour leader’s supporters and most of his parliamentary party has become so sulphurous that his words are likely to have little impact on either side.
To compound matters for the party, only 23% think the current leader has what it takes to be prime minister, with even less (21%) agreeing Ms Eagle would make a good PM.
“It is one member, one vote in the Labour party, unlike the Tories who decide their leader without consulting the members”.
A second former aide of beleaguered Labour party chief Jeremy Corbyn came forward today as a potential candidate to replace the opposition leader who is facing calls for his ouster in the wake of the Brexit vote. The proposals Jeremy has put forward in the past year – successfully defending tax credits and disabled benefits, rejecting austerity and war, have seen our party grow to record levels of membership.
Although it has no formal power, it is a symbol of the growing discord within the party as two MPs table leadership challenges.
More than half of Labour voters, 54 per cent, believed Labour should change leader, with 41 per cent backing Mr Corbyn.
Labour members need to have signed up on or before January 12 this year to be eligible to vote in the new election.
“This is a moment of deep peril for Labour, if we carry on as we are the party I love will end up in a disastrous spilt”.
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The NEC held a secret vote amid hype about the “intimidation” MPs face from Corbyn supporters. The party is due to publish a formal timetable on Thursday.
