The session was described as lively and passionate but remained respectful throughout. All Labour has done is shout about how it has been her party’s fault, rather than trying to represent Britain’s Left-wingers as Brexit takes shape.
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A crowd-funded group of party members are challenging the decision of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee to ban £3 supporters from voting if they did not join by 12 January unless they pay a further £25. The leadership result is due on September 24.
Speaking in a personal capacity she said Jeremy Corbyn “has spent his life by” his policies.
“He very plainly can not lead a party and his continued presence as Labour leader makes our ability to build an election winning, social movement, the likes of which was saw in the late 90s and early 00s, harder not easier”.
A party spokesperson said: “Whoever wins Labour’s leadership auction, it is clear that the British people will be the losers, as Labour will spend, borrow and tax even more than they did last time”. I think we have moved on from that style of politics.
“Without being able to win and put our principles into practice, I don’t see that we are going to be able to do anything other than protest”.
Both men are promising to strengthen workers’ rights, tackle inequality and low wages, invest in infrastructure and nationalise the railways, but Mr Smith insists only he can appeal beyond Mr Corbyn’s left-wing support base.
Manuel Cortes, the union’s general secretary, said: “Jeremy has a set of policies and values which will benefit working people and we will be backing him on the basis”.
Mr Corbyn dismissed claims by his leadership rival, Owen Smith, that the party was “teetering on the edge of a precipice” and could split unless there is a change at the top of the party.
But Smith, 46, has strong support among Labour MPs, who argue that Corbyn – a veteran anti-war and anti-nuclear campaigner who has never held high office – can not beat Prime Minister Theresa May’s governing centre-right Conservatives at the next election.
He also hit out at criticisms of the 172 Labour MPs who voted no confidence in Mr Corbyn’s leadership, saying: “They are not red Tories”.
He later told Sky News: “We shouldn’t be going into a leadership election saying “vote for me or some of my supporters will split the party”. He is one of the most ambitious career politicians I’ve met. It’s not what I am getting.
The party boasted a record income of £51.1m past year and spent £46.7m meaning it generated a surplus of £4.3m, according to figures from the Electoral Commission.
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The Islington North MP’s pledges come a day after Mr Smith laid out a radical programme of reform which he said would amount to the “biggest boost to living standards for a generation”. “That is the unfortunate awful truth”.
