Launching his bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Smith evoked Tony Blair’s “Clause IV moment” – when the former prime minister controversially amended the passage to remove its historic commitment to mass nationalisation.
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The Labour leadership challenger made these comments after a Sky News journalist said in a TV interview that Mr Smith seemed “normal”, to which the Pontypridd MP replied: “I’m glad you think I’m normal”.
This is why a good number of MPs who have given Eagle their support have privately told me that they too will abandon their support for her if necessary in order to ensure that there is just one challenger to Corbyn. Its values and objective are in my blood, and I am striving to ensure that we have a leader who is a persuader, not just a protester.
He spoke of his grandfather, who worked down the mines, and grandmother, who left the Welsh valleys to go into service in a great house in London in post-war Britain and were Labour supporters.
THE Labour Party has been accused of “stifling democracy” by some of its members in Swansea West after local branch meetings were suspended by the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.
In what promises to be a closely fought contest, supporters of Ms Eagle and Mr Smith claimed their candidate was the right one to challenge Mr Corbyn.
She told, him: “I don’t want to be involved in a back room deal before nominations are open”.
“The NEC has agreed that as the incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn will go forward onto the ballot without requiring nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party and the European Parliamentary Labour Party”, a party spokesman said in a statement.
The former shadow work and pensions secretary will say: “It is not enough for the Labour Party to simply talk about being anti-austerity”.
Ms Eagle said she was inspired to enter politics in the 1970s by long serving Labour MP Barbara Castle, who she says “cut a swathe of glamour” through Parliament.
Mr Smith insisted the Labour Party will not split regardless of the outcome of the leadership election.
Smith said he would form a shadow cabinet – and also a cabinet of Labour members – to make sure the party leaders knew what the members thought and wanted.
If you’re wondering what political news to feast on this summer instead then fear not, because Labour’s leadership battle is poised to fill the void.
Last week, Swansea East Labour Party held a vote in which members voted unanimously in favour of a resolution confirming support for Mr Corbyn.
His call came after Ms Eagle warned that Labour risks becoming the “new nasty party” amid widespread criticism of Mr Corbyn and his allies’ handling of apparently rising abuse in the party.
“We have to try and build on what we have got now rather than just see it wither away”.
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“We’ve now got a period over the next 18 months to look at it, determine if it’s whether what we want and ask the British people again”.
