Tom Watson, who was elected separately from Corbyn last summer, was reported to have pleaded with Corbyn to quit after he lost the confidence of the Parliamentary Labour Party, according to a report in the Financial Times, following a dozen shadow cabinet resignations over the weekend.
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Ms Eagle, the shadow first secretary of state who deputises for Mr Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Questions, said “we need a leader who can unite rather than divide the Labour Party”.
Ms Turley was joined in her resignation from Mr Corbyn’s team by one of the party’s foreign affairs team, Ms Diana Johnson, and armed forces spokesman Toby Perkins. I regret there have been resignations. from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me – or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them.
“Jeremy Corbyn will be leader of the party until he decides so”.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell pleaded for his fellow Labour stalwarts to stick with Corbyn, warning rebels that Corbyn still has the backing of the grass-roots activists. “And so in the interests of the people who so need a Labour Government, I believe it is time for you to stand aside”.
Since the referendum, two Labour MPs have submitted a motion of no-confidence in Corbyn, calling for his leadership to be debated at a meeting today, followed by a secret ballot.
Her decision to step down comes in the wake of mass resignations within Labour’s shadow cabinet following the European Union referendum last week which saw the country vote 52% to 48% for Brexit.
Throughout yesterday 11 others – Bryant, Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell, Ian Murray, Kerry McCarthy, Vernon Coaker, Charles Falconer, Lilian Greenwood, Karl Turner and Seema Malhotra – said they were stepping down.
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As the new jobs were allocated, the mayhem in the Labour ranks saw a string of junior frontbenchers follow the lead of their former shadow cabinet colleagues in walking out.
