If the appeal is rejected, Mr Corbyn could receive a significant boost in his fight to remain party leader as most new members are expected to support him.
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Mrs Cowling acknowledged individual member votes would decide the outcome of the leadership battle rather than CLP nominations but added: “As chair, I knew our members would want a discussion on the leadership situation and it would have been wrong to deny them that”.
But Mr Miliband, who led the party before Mr Corbyn, said Mr Smith is the best candidate to make the crisis following the European Union referendum “a progressive moment”. It is not clear how many will have their minds changed by the announcement that Mr Miliband is backing Mr Smith.
Labour MPs backed a motion of no-confidence in Mr Corbyn’s leadership by 172 to 40 on 28 June, saying he could not win a general election.
Towards the end of a heated 90-minute debate in Gateshead, chaired by Sky’s Sophy Ridge, he said serving under Mr Corbyn would be “futile work”.
This time, the group voted “emphatically” for Corbyn, with 72 people backing him compared to Mr Smith’s 13.
Around 30,000 GMB members are eligible to vote in the leadership election, but the union wanted to gauge the feeling of all its members.
“We’ve had mass rallies, we’ve had a big party and we’ve lost successive elections”, he said.
A bitter row has ignited at the top of the Labour Party after its deputy leader claimed old “Trots” had infiltrated the party to bolster Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
Corbyn, who was elected a year ago, retains strong support among party members.
In his Guardian column today, Owen Jones says Jeremy Corbyn’s opponents need to take a hard look at themselves for bringing the Corbynite revolution upon themselves. It is the first time we have had a leader and I’ve thought, yes.
COMMUNIST Party leader Robert Griffiths has slammed the “fertile imagination” of rightwingers who say far-left infiltrators are taking over the Labour Party.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has accused supporters of Owen Smith of threatening to split the party. I’m under no illusions that we’re living through risky political times – the like of which I haven’t seen during my three decades in our movement.
Corbyn’s refusal to step down prompted the leadership contest, which he on Thursday suggested was to blame for Labour’s dire performance in polls by YouGov.
General secretary Steve Gillan said: “The executive endorsed Jeremy Corbyn past year and see no need to alter that this time around”.
Several local party branches are holding votes over the next few days, with Plymouth’s Sutton and Devonport CLP holding a meeting on Friday evening.
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“That’s why my choice for Labour leader is Owen Smith”.
