It was prompted by the mass resignation of Labour MPs from the shadow front bench, and a motion of no-confidence in which the majority of Labour MPs made it clear they wanted Mr Corbyn gone.
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Corbyn was a longtime critic of party policy under former centrist prime minister Tony Blair and was elected only in 2015 with support from older leftists and younger anti-austerity campaigners.
The comment appears to contradict Mr Smith’s insistence that he chose to stand when Angela Eagle announced her bid, and his claim earlier this week that Mr Corbyn should have been given more time as leader.
The victor will be declared at a special party conference on Saturday.
He called for an end to the “sniping and personal attacks” and warned that “anything else would be destructive self-indulgence”.
Mr Watson, 62, a former miner, who worked at Westoe pit for 23 years, said: “It’s great to have a leader of the Labour Party with integrity and the members’ interests at heart, something that has been sadly lacking for a long time”.
Leadership rival Owen Smith has consistently said he would refuse to serve in Mr Corbyn’s cabinet should he lose the leadership race.
On Wednesday, John McDonnell said that it was important that on Saturday the losers ” accept the mandate, respect the will of our members, unite, and then start preparing for a general election, and on that basis, I think we can win an election and start transforming our country”.
Board of Deputies President Jonathan Arkush said: “Does Jeremy Corbyn believe, as he has said publicly many times recently, that the Labour Party will do everything it can to expunge antisemitism from the Labour Party?”
Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team released a video on the Labour leader’s Facebook page yesterday, created to address perceived misconceptions that surround him and his supporters.
His opponents doubt he can do it. Smith said Labour faces a choice “between renewing our party to pursue unity and power, or satisfying ourselves with ongoing division and opposition”.
“If we are out of power for another 10 years we are talking about a generation”.
Fears have been raised that Labour could break apart if Mr Corbyn is re-elected this weekend.
The banner group, with Defend Jeremy Corbyn supporters, have been at the forefront of the campaign in South Tyneside to support Corbyn’s re-election.
Decrying his leadership skills the professor said: “I think he could develop it but it’s been a bit slow and it’s been a bit chaotic”.
Ms Chapman also suggested he could be pressured into staying on as leader until a natural successor “that’s acceptable to Momentum and the left emerges”.
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She said: “My heart and soul is still very much with what he stands for”. The role of the PLP is going to be crucial, as we know, because there’s going to be a lot of work with legislation as we withdraw. “And the case has to be made for that in Parliament”.
