The two rivals clashed over the party’s future, Brexit and Trident as they went head to head in a fractious debate in front of a crowd of several hundred Labour members in Cardiff at the first hustings of the leadership contest.
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“I think it is fair to assume that most of the astonishing number of members who have recently joined wish to vote for Corbyn”, she said.
“There are some on the hard left of the party like McDonnell, and some on the right of the party, who have become fatalistic about that”. He offers Labour the best chance of forming a government at the next election, which really should be the only litmus test for potential party leaders.
Father-of-two Mr Smith, who has not seen his two daughters for five years, said he is angry with Jeremy Corbyn for his stance on shared parenting.
The event, organised by local Labour Party members, with support from Momentum County Durham, will be held in Southside Social Club, Easington Village, SR8 3AX at 6pm.
He said: “History tells us that when the Labour Party is divided, when the Labour Party is split, we lose elections, not once, twice, three times. but four times in a row. They are just Labour MPs, Jeremy”.
“This leadership election is a fight for the soul of the Labour Party”. I don’t think we’ve done enough to stamp it out.
He said the party needs a leader who does not rely on “sloganising” and making speeches about being anti-austerity, but comes up with viable alternatives.
“You knew we had a no confidence vote in you coming that evening and you knew that many of my colleagues who didn’t ring me and ask me to resign, had resigned that Sunday”.
“We could all be living richer lives in a sustainable, more prosperous and more caring society”. A Labour Government will allow us to invest more in our NHS, create new high-tech jobs that our children can work in, build 1.5million new homes in one parliament and end the public sector pay freeze so we can ensure teachers, doctors, nurses, firefighters and police officers in Essex are paid what their service deserves.
Mr Smith also accused Mr Corbyn of failing to do enough to campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union or to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
“I want us to be looked at by the country as a credible, respected opposition and a Labour government in waiting”, he said.
Mr Smith, though, accused the party’s leadership of a “collective failure” to tackle the problem.
Mr Smith faced tough questions from Labour supporters, with one accusing him of fuelling division in the party by standing against Mr Corbyn.
The veteran reiterated his view that Labour’s drop in recent polls was due to the move against his leadership.
Despite Labour’s current plight, I firmly believe that the next election can be won, but only with a leader that is serious about winning and capable of leading a party.
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“The whole point behind our economic plan is one of investment – investment in order to improve the infrastructure”.
