ANGELA Eagle has withdrawn from the contest for Labour’s leadership in order to back Owen Smith as a “unity candidate” to challenge Jeremy Corbyn.
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Eagle triggered the contest last week by challenging Corbyn, but said she had since received fewer nominations from Labour politicians than Smith.
Mr Corbyn also launched a thinly-veiled attack on Mr Smith, who has come under fire over his previous career working for drugs giant Pfizer.
Launching a leadership election campaign in less than a year, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday offered a “hand of friendship” to his party MPs, most of whom have expressed no confidence in his authority following the June 23 Brexit vote.
“If this parliament runs to the full term, then the new boundaries will be the basis on which the elections take place and in that case there would be a full selection process in every constituency”, he said.
The ruling National Executive Committee decided that Mr Corbyn, as incumbent leader, was not required to meet the threshold of 51 nominations to stand, but a High Court challenge has been launched against the ruling.
“It’s not much of an employer that says, you know, work for me and work harder or I’m going to sack you all – which is effectively what he’s doing today”, Mr Smith told the BBC. “I am just as radical as Jeremy Corbyn”.
Smith is barely known outside of Westminster and Wales but moderates in the Labour party are hoping he will dethrone the current Labour leader, who has been heavily criticised for lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in the European Union. I am joining again and stating that I am joining to support the Labour Party so that they don’t block my membership. This party is strong.
183,000 people have signed up in the last 48 hours to vote in the head-to-head battle, many of whom are suspected to be Corbyn-supporters. Corbyn insisted that it is the “job, duty, and responsibility” of all Labour MPs to rally behind his leadership. “This party is capable of winning a general election”.
She added: “We are in lock-step together, arguing for a united Labour Party”. We are part of but not the entirety of the Labour Party and the Labour movement.
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“People in St Helens and across the country need a credible Labour party that can hold the Tories to account in this parliament, and have a realistic chance of forming a government in the next parliament. We’ve been on the sidelines for too long”, Smith said.
