Owen Smith’s campaign for the Labour leadership suffered another blow yesterday when one of Britain’s largest trade unions swung behind Jeremy Corbyn.
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Members voted 10 to 18 to give Mr Corbyn their backing over rival Owen Smith.
Angela Eagle, who triggered the leadership contest by challenging Corbyn but has now pulled out to boost Smith’s chances, has been advised by police not to hold open drop-in sessions with her constituents due to safety risks.
The rally came on the same day that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) formally endorsed Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party, his third union endorsement after Aslef and Ucatt. “Is there any wonder that some of the activists are going out and doing the same to us on Twitter?”
“We need to speak not just to those who already agree with us, but to those who need more convincing – and I think Owen would be a strong leader who can do just that”.
Yet, it has been almost two weeks since Owen Smith was confirmed as the “unity candidate” to challenge Corbyn for the leadership, and it is still not clear what the MP for Pontypridd is offering that is really that different.
Keeley Lawton, 24, joined the Labour Party in December and travelled from her home in Sutton Park to support Jeremy Corbyn.
In a statement, he said: “The democratic process is fundamental to Labour Party values and all candidates must commit to respecting the outcome of this election”.
“It would be a total disaster for working people in this country if the Labour Party, the party that’s been on their side for 100 years or more, were to split”.
When the BBC’s assistant political editor Norman Smith asked so-called “Corbynistas” in Leeds why they supported Mr Corbyn, they told him they liked his breakaway, non-traditional style of politics.
Oxford University professor Simon Wren-Lewis wrote on his blog that Mr Corbyn would not be able to win in 2020.
The Telegraph quotes a “senior moderate” MP stating, “Essentially, the majority of MPs will formally set up their own grouping under an alternative Labour banner”.
The Labour leader has generally called for the rich to pay more in taxes, and promised to increase public spending and infrastructure investment if elected.
Mr Smith, appearing alone on the programme, said he is attempting to win over Tory, Lib Dem and Green voters. From my point of view we have got to fight hard for Labour.
He added: “I think Labour is standing on the edge of the precipice right now”.
Former shadow attorney general Karl Turner accused Mr Corbyn of “bottling” the first proposed head-to-head hustings and TV debates with Mr Smith.
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“The Labour Party must be a movement for improving the lives of ordinary people, not about an individual”.
