“And it’s long overdue for Labour, the party of Equality, to have its first woman leader”.
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“I am a person who brings people together, I don’t drive them apart”.
The 55-year-old, who has been the MP for Wallasey since 1992, went on: “I would not do this if I did not think I could be a good prime minister for Britain”.
Andrea Leadsom stunned Westminster by revealing she was quitting the race to be Conservative leader, paving the way for Theresa May to replace David Cameron as prime minister.
Following a spate of resignations from the shadow cabinet, MPs overwhelmingly voted in favour of a no confidence motion against their leader tabled at the end of June. He has nevertheless refused calls to resign, insisting he has the backing of the party’s grass roots.
In a separate BBC interview, Corbyn reminded viewers – several times – that he won the last leadership vote with 60 percent support from members. “We’re a party that’s going places and doing very well, actually”.
One source told HuffPost UK that Henderson was sought as a barrister by the party leadership after a recommendation by Corbyn’s political secretary Katy Clark.
Corbyn is confident that he could win an election if nominated because he enjoys widespread grass-roots support. Corbyn says he has been consulting lawyers and is confident of his position.
Would Eagle have put her name forward if she didn’t believe that this mysterious advice contradicts Doughty Street and that it will form the basis of the recommendation to today’s meeting of the national executive committee (NEC)?
Mr Horsfield said it sent a “resounding message that they still stand behind Jeremy Corbyn” and that “if that doesn’t re-solidify his mandate in the parliamentary party I don’t know what does”. The implication is that Corbyn would have an automatic spot on the ballot.
Labour Councillor Robin Lunn, who stood for the party in Mid-Worcestershire at last year’s general election, said: “There will clearly now be a leadership election, there will have to be one. And I don’t think they’ll think it’s democracy”.
“For rebuilding the Labour Party in the immediate term we have got to be clear that we have a leadership that fights for people in their workplaces and communities”. “We need a strong Government and a strong Opposition in this country”.
Angela Eagle, who served as former shadow business secretary, has said that she can save the Labour Party.
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Along with a string of abusive phone calls and an online campaign replying to her leadership bid posters with “I’m with Corbyn” posts, the incidents came as she officially announced her decision to run as Labour Party leader.
