Ms Eagle, who resigned as shadow business secretary last week, said leader Jeremy Corbyn had failed “to lead an organised and effective” party. Eagle announced her leadership bid soon after.
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“I am ready to have a leadership contest and a debate with whoever’s on the ballot”, she told ITV’s Peston on Sunday programme.
Several members of the shadow cabinet, including Eagle, quit in a revolt against Corbyn leadership.
Eagle continued: “He’s not a bad man, he’s not a leader though, he doesn’t connect with Labour voters, he doesn’t connect enough to win an election and he doesn’t reach out in any meaningful way to other parts of the party”.
The deputy leader said Corbyn had clearly lost the support of MPs and had “little prospect of regaining it” after the crushing vote of no confidence. “This is an opportunity to put enormous pressure on the Tory government”.
“We now have a very large membership, over half a million people are members of our party”.
How much support does Corbyn need? The party’s National Executive Committee is expected to make a decision on the exact rules, but there is a possibility it could end up facing a challenge in court. “I am concentrating on setting out my vision for a strong united Labour party that can heal our country”.
“I had made arrangements for a meeting of trade union leaders, Tom Watson and representatives of the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) and the Party Leader for tomorrow, arrangements requested by Tom Watson and his colleagues, specifically for Mr Watson’s convenience”. In this case any nomination must be supported by 20 per cent of the Commons members of the PLP.
“Surely, they are the people that knock on doors, they are the people that deliver leaflets, they are the people that raise the money”.
He insisted he was calm despite the mounting concerns over his leadership, saying there were “no wobbles, no stress, no depression”.
Ms Eagle said: “This is not about splitting the Labour Party this is about uniting the party”.
The mass departure of senior cabinet ministers came after former shadow foreign minister Hilary Benn was dismissed for her alleged involvement in a coup against the leader.
Mr Smith said that he was not prepared to stand by and watch his party split as he announced that he had asked to meet Mr Corbyn.
Two women, interior minister Theresa May and junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom, are competing to replace Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and as prime minister.
Asked if he would back the motion, he said: “I haven’t seen it yet, but I think I probably would”.
The shake up comes amid accusations that Mr Corbyn’s attempts to persuade his supporters to “Remain” in the European Union was “lacklustre”.
Corbyn has repeatedly said he has no intention whatsoever of standing down, citing his overwhelming victory in the contest decided by grassroots members last summer.
Corbyn had pleaded for the party to “come together”.
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“There are proper procedures for leadership challenges which are not being used by people who are perfectly aware of them”.
