When Mr Smith described his family life, he did not say anything hat implied that he was comparing himself with Ms Eagle, but later in the day, his supporters were having to fend off accusations on the social media that Mr Smith was being “homophobic”.
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‘We have a wider gap between the haves and have-nots in this country than any of us have known in our lifetimes.
He also wants to rewrite Clause Four – Labour’s defining mission statement – to include a duty to tackle inequality.
“It’s not Labour… for us to have that sort of tax system”.
He said members wanted to show their support for Mr Corbyn but were not attacking local MP Ruth Cadbury, who was among 172 MPs to back a vote of no confidence against him.
Mr Corbyn added: “If they can’t afford the £25, what do they do?”
A source close to her said: “She’s not going to stand down”.
Ms Eagle said: “There were many things that didn’t work, I won’t go into great detail here – parallel organisations, reading about the brief that you are meant to be representing in the newspapers because somebody has written a speech without talking to you about it, constant cancelled meetings with (shadow chancellor) John McDonnell, no liaison at all”.
So we not only have the best opposition to the Tories imaginable, but get this rotten government out and return Labour to power.
Yet we all know this is a worrying time for Labour. It can not happen. It will not happen.
“But I think the PLP has got to be a grown-up organisation and try to come to a decision in the next couple of days over who it is”.
“It won’t split because we can not afford it to split and, more important than that, working people in this country can not afford the Labour Party to split”.
In a dig at rules over voting entitlements that are seen as harming Mr Corbyn’s chances, another key principle states: “We believe this contest should be one of ideas and that using organisational methods to resolve political disagreements does not help the Labour Party to prosper”.
Many have expressed dismay that those who have been members for less than six months can not vote in the leadership selection and at the eight-fold increase in the cost to become a registered supporter – up to £25 from £3.
Angela Eagle is facing growing pressure to end her Labour leadership campaign with MPs desperate to ensure there is only one “unity candidate” facing Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Smith’s leadership launch will come after Mr Corbyn felt moved to tell his supporters not to abuse his challengers for the leadership amid rising intensity in Labour’s civil war.
Ms Eagle, Mr Smith and Mr Corbyn all made their pitch to MPs and peers in Westminster – with the leader “listened to in utter silence” according to one backbencher in the room.
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It comes as senior Labour MPs called for a single unity candidate, warning that a protracted and divisive leadership battle would detract from challenging the new Prime Minister Theresa May.
