Corbyn’s allies believe enough MPs will agree to serve in the shadow cabinet to end the embarrassing juggling of portfolios after mass resignations over the summer, without the need to promise MPs a say in who joins.
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Also this week, as Labour members turn their attention to the party’s annual conference, Yvette Cooper tells us she is pushing for more to be done by the party leadership to tackle the tone of the debate within the party which has often turned abusive, whether online or offline.
Praising Mr Smith, she said: “He’s younger and I think he’s more media savvy and I think he’s more flexible about the way he would conduct the leadership, with a bigger emphasis on winning the election”.
But after a divisive leadership contest, Corbyn has pledged to “wipe the slate clean” and work with critics within the party if re-elected.
Ian Murray said the move could act as an “olive branch” to win over MPs who have been critical of the veteran left-winger, who looks nearly certain to be re-elected as Labour leader on Saturday.
“I will build on the broad policy agreement that stretches across our party, based on a clear anti-austerity agenda”.
“Both sides of the argument felt we’d come to a better understanding of each other”.
He called for an end to the “sniping and personal attacks” and warned that “anything else would be destructive self-indulgence”.
Despite Owen Smith’s public apology for his decision, his inability to defy the party whip on what really mattered at a time when it didn’t benefit him has to be a telling tale of what a party under his leadership would look like.
But the former work and pensions spokesman ruled out a return to the shadow cabinet which he quit in June along with a raft of senior Labour figures.
“I don’t think he can rebuild Labour’s reputation in the country, so I won’t be serving in Jeremy’s cabinet”, he told BBC News.
Mr Mann controversially claimed most Labour members were concerned only with party politics, since they were “people who do not personally experience poverty”. “If we win, no matter what, his mandate is still in place”.
Mr Corbyn’s team predict he will comfortably win the election, just months after more than 50 members of his shadow cabinet walked out in protest at his handling of the European Union referendum. “We hope that those responsible for producing and promoting it will be sent to attend the training session on “confronting anti-Semitism and engaging with Jewish voters” being delivered by JLM and the Labour Party at the Party Conference next week”, he said, according to the Jewish News.
“But the electorate can see through the domestic policy, too”, he said.
Despite meeting for nearly nine hours on Tuesday, the NEC was unable to reach a decision on the proposal put forward by Mr Watson.
Ms Chapman, speaking to Emma Barnett, who was hosting 5 Live Daily for the first time on the station, also questioned whether Mr Corbyn had the necessary leadership skills for such a job.
Brown is also urging Labour members not to quit the party and give a free run to the Left.
They passed a no-confidence vote in Corbyn, but he refused to resign, sparking a leadership challenge. He was reported to have been suspended as a party member, though he has denied this indeed occurred.
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Mr Corbyn insisted he wanted to work with Mr Smith.
