Yesterday, after six hours of negation, Labour’s National Executive Committee ruled Mr Corbyn should be included on the ballot despite opponents arguing the leader needed 51 MPs to support him.
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Smith told the BBC he agreed with the NEC’s decision, earlier saying that he was considering running for the leadership to “stop our party being destroyed”.
On Tuesday evening the National Executive Committee voted by 18-14 that Corbyn would automatically be on the ballot – which is lucky for him as there is a good chance he would not have secured the necessary MP votes otherwise.
“All other leadership candidates will require nominations from 20% of the PLP and EPLP”.
Mr Goudie had advised the 32 members of the NEC who voted on the issue that Mr Corbyn should not automatically appear on the ballot paper.
Corbyn, a veteran of Labour’s left wing, was elected leader with 59.5 percent of the membership vote last September but has been criticized by centrist figures in the party who believe his policies do not appeal to the wider British electorate.
Owen Smith, one of the contenders for the Labour leadership, will offer a second referendum on European Union membership if he wins the race.
The party will announce the election timetable tomorrow but the contest is expected to take two months, with the victor to be announced on the eve of the Labour Party conference on September 24.
“Certain groups within the party published my personal contact details online; one of my colleagues has just recently had a stalker sectioned – she was in tears, she begged the leader for a secret ballot to protect her and also other colleagues who had received intimidating and bullying behaviour”.
Corbyn’s only challenger to date for the Labour party hotseat, Angela Eagle said in a tweet that she welcomed the contest ahead.
“You could not make this up”, a source said.
Mr Smith, who joined the race to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the party leadership on Wednesday, said either he or fellow challenger Angela Eagle should stand aside, depending on support, to give a unity candidate a free run at the leader.
At time of writing the membership stands at 770 members.
Rebel organisers are vowing to pick one unity candidate if Ms Eagle and Mr Smith can not settle the matter between them.
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In Bolton, North East MP David Crausby and several senior Labour councillors have joined voices calling on Mr Corbyn to resign – although union bosses and many local members disagree.
