Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has been accused of talking up a split in the party – and warned he will be branded the “disunity candidate” if he fails to denounce the plotters.
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Highlighting the “huge divide” between Labour’s official Remain policy and “what a large number of supporters thought”, he rubbished leadership hopeful Mr Smith’s “dismally bad idea” for a second European Union poll.
A statement said: “There was a technical glitch with the system used for sending out messages, which meant some texts were delivered after the intended 8pm cut-off”.
Angela Eagle, who triggered the leadership contest by challenging Corbyn but has now pulled out to boost Smith’s chances, has been advised by police not to hold open drop-in sessions with her constituents due to safety risks.
The rally came on the same day that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) formally endorsed Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party, his third union endorsement after Aslef and Ucatt.
This, along with the targets on health spending and homebuilding, the strengthening of employees’ rights (points 6 and 7) and the £200bn “British New Deal” investment fund are all either new or go significantly beyond similar aspirations mentioned by Mr Corbyn.
He will said: “I’m now proud to commit the next Labour government to a national investment bank that will unlock £500bn of investment to ensure no community is left behind”.
Labour MPs might not like it, but if Mr Corbyn is re-elected with an overwhelming majority, they may have little option.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said in March that he would also bring the top rate of tax back to 50p.
The outcome of the leadership election will be announced on September 24.
“I have to carry around a thing that I can press so the police can find me”, Labour lawmaker Jess Phillips told Reuters. “It is time to end rip-off Britain”. He said Corbyn was unable to form a strong opposition when the economy appeared to be “going down very fast” after the vote to leave the EU.
He called for unity in the Labour Party, adding he was determined to “take it to the Tories “.
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Constituency Labour Party secretary Louise Gibbard said “It was great to see so many people turn out on a wet Thursday evening, and we received many more apologies too showing the strength of feeling amongst members at this turbulent time for the party. We do not see arguing for fairer wealth distribution, decent jobs with good pay, terms and conditions and a substantial increase in affordable housing for the next generation as a left-wing agenda”.
