David Blanchflower, a former member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, and Simon Wren-Lewis, a professor at Oxford University, who have been members of Labour’s economic advisory committee but are now expressing reservations about Corbyn’s leadership.
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“If he (Smith) refuses to denounce those calling for a split, then members will think he is simply trying to scaremonger them to vote for him by his talking up of threats from a minority of MPs supporting his campaign who are plotting to split our party in Tory newspapers”, McDonnell said.
So far, of the 72 nominations, 57 have backed Mr Corbyn while only 15 supported Mr Smith.
In an open letter to party members on her website Mrs Hodgson outlined her reasons for leaving the shadow cabinet. “We want to see a Labour Party that properly holds the Tories to account, is capable of forming an alternative government and truly represents Britain”.
“Labour is bigger than any one person, and is indeed bigger than all of us”.
Reshuffles are always tough – many MPs will be angry at being sacked or passed over and a number will be troublesome and irreconcilable to the new PM – but that’s politics and there’s a broad understanding that it’s a rough business and not always fair.
‘Jeremy is a leader for the millions, not the millionaires, and the CWU is proud to support him’.
She added; “We need leadership that ensures our electability, and respectfully, Jeremy is not offering that leadership”.
The two candidates have embarked upon their campaigns around the country.
“Leaders must lead from the front and make our case to the country, but Jeremy failed to do so”.
Mr Corbyn said he though this support has “grown a great deal” and brushed aside criticisms that he would not unite the party and be a viable prime minister, saying people are “looking for something different, that challenges the orthodoxy”.
Many of Corbyn’s backers received the messagesOthers were excited to get a text – until they realised who it was fromWhile some were disappointed not to get a message And others questioned the phone settings of those who complained…
“The Labour Party must be a movement for improving the lives of ordinary people, not about an individual”. However, we have seen the opposite.
He has until September 21 to appeal to voters and defeat Smith.
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The pro-Smith open letter said: “Jeremy Corbyn won last year’s Labour leadership election and we hoped and believed he would reach out to the wide electorate, regardless of how we voted personally, but the recent referendum campaign sadly showed that is not the case”.
