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Jeremy Corbyn denies plan to ‘pressure’ Labour whip Conor McGinn through father

The Islington North MP now faces a leadership challenge from former shadow cabinet minister Owen Smith after a vast majority of Labour MPs (172) backed a motion of “no confidence” against him in the wake of the European Union referendum result, which saw the party’s heartlands across England and Wales back a Brexit.

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Mr Corbyn launched his campaign to hold on to the Labour leadership on Thursday, urging MPs to get behind the party.

Eagle triggered the contest last week by challenging Corbyn, but said she had since received fewer nominations from Labour politicians than Smith.

“If we say we are going to start restricting then it works both ways, it will also restrict British people going to live and work in Europe”.

This all means, in theory, that the party membership could kick out moderate Labour MPs and replace them with candidates who support the left-wing leader.

The leader said he is “disappointed” by the claims and said: “I don’t do any abuse, I don’t do any bullying”.

Former BBC producer Owen Smith will be the sole challenger against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn to lead Britain’s opposition Labour Party after registrations for the race closed on Wednesday. She said I shouldn’t have stated that I was joining to support Jeremy Corbyn as the NEC is dealing with applications and they are full of Blairites.

McGinn said he had experienced abuse and threats, including an incident in which some opponents got access to his shared office building and filmed themselves protesting outside his office door, also threatening to disrupt his surgeries.

The former Labour leadership contender claims she was advised by police not to hold public advice sessions in her constituency.

“I think it is very unfortunate and another example of why really we need a new leadership rather than Jeremy Corbyn”.

Launching his leadership campaign, Mr Corbyn set out his stall to remain at the top of the party by vowing to take on inequality, neglect, insecurity, prejudice and discrimination.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: “What Conor McGinn is saying is untrue”.

The speech focuses primarily on how Corbyn wants the British workplace to be a more fair and just place for people to make a living.

Mr McGinn said that a Twitter account using the name Frank Ryan – which claims to have a close association with Mr Corbyn – subsequently posted that he was a “traitor” and no longer welcome in his home village of Camlough.

In his article, McGinn said he was on a parliamentary trip to Washington in May when he learned that Corbyn was annoyed about an interview he had given in which he discussed the party’s disconnect with working-class communities.

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He added: “To date, I have not had any answer from Jeremy about his relationship with this person or an explanation about how she or he obtained the photograph”.

Owen Smith