Lord Prescott – who said he did not vote for Mr Corbyn – argued that while the Labour leader had to improve, MPs also had to recognise “the course the party is on” and come together to “avoid a civil war”.
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McCluskey dismissed a survey of 750 Unite members which showed widespread support for Corbyn to resign as a “poll of half a dozen people”, while describing the Labour leader as a “man of steel” who was going nowhere.
Former Welsh Secretary Lord Hain spoke of his experience as a leader of Welsh Labour’s doomed referendum campaign for a vote in favour of remaining in the EU.
He denied access to Mr Corbyn was being restricted, saying the leader had an “open door” policy towards MPs and that Ms Eagle could meet him today.
Mr Corbyn remains as party leader despite opposition from the majority of his MPs following last month’s European Union referendum vote.
Mr Corbyn is still in post a week after the vast majority of his shadow cabinet and frontbench team resigned in an effort to force him out.
City mayor Marvin Rees is refusing to become embroiled in the row, telling Bristol24/7 on Friday, after repeated requests for his views: “I’m not sharing my stand, my priority is that Jeremy is well and the party survives to be a strong political voice up in Westminster”.
“It’s not that he doesn’t have the right ideas, it’s more his presentation and the way he goes about it”.
“We will risk losing all those new members and enthusiastic campaigners who joined us because Jeremy offered a vision of hope for the future”.
Philip Mitchell wrote: “The current Labour party in unelectable under Corbyn”.
Rebel Labour MPs are now understood to be split on whether or not Ms Eagle or former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith should the candidate to take him on.
The Labour leader turned around and told her: “If you want to arrange an interview, speak to my press office”.
“Our people need Labour Party members, trade unionists and MPs to unite”.
The YouGov poll indicated that Mr Corbyn would beat Ms Eagle by 50% to 40% if they went head to head.
Conway, however, said Corbyn is not a leader capable of leading Labour Party towards victory and that is what frightens his colleagues “because they can’t see much of their active political career being spent in the wilderness of the opposition benches”.
Allies of the Labour leader believe he is determined to call the bluff of the “coup” plotters and is confident he would win a fresh election.
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Despite the Parliamentary Labour Party’s (PLP) attempts to oust Corbyn, more than 240 local Labour councilors signed a letter pledging their continued support for him.
