Angela Eagle drops out of Labour leadership race

Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, also claimed that Mr Smith’s former job as a lobbyist for USA pharmaceutical giant Pfizer would count against him when it came to the ballot of party members, which will decide the leadership contest.

Labour MPs in the city – Kerry McCarthy, Karin Smyth and Thangam Debbonaire – will all campaign for Mr Smith to become the party’s 22nd leader.

Jeremy Corbyn’s critics warned that they will wage a “war of attrition” until they force him out of his job after he suggested that Labour MPs who refuse to back him could be sacked by local party activists.

Launching his bid to cling on the Labour leadership this morning, the hard-left politician opened up the possibility of a mandatory reselection process for every MP ahead of the next scheduled general election.

And she said she believed Mr Smith was the person to turn some of the policies backed by Mr Corbyn into reality, by leading Labour into government.

“I am announcing tonight that I will be supporting Owen in that endeavour with all of my enthusiasm and might”. We are part of, but not the entirety of, the Labour party and the Labour movement.

“I appeal to them to work together to put that case forward, because we owe it to the people that founded this party, that support this party, the half-million who give their money and their time to help this party survive and strengthen and grow”.

“If we can’t win power, then, frankly, Jeremy can shout all he wants”.

Ms Eagle said: “We have a Labour Party at the moment that is not working, we’ve got a leader that doesn’t have the confidence of his Members of Parliament and isn’t reaching out to the country”.

“He has increased constituency participation across the United Kingdom, bringing young people in and enthusing young people about politics”. “I don’t think that is what Jeremy is about fundamentally”, he said.

Despite overwhelming support amongst MPs for Mr Smith, it will not plain sailing for the 46-year-old.

“I want Labour to make a practical difference to peoples’ lives”, he told Christian Today.

“Angela is a star in the Labour firmament and she will be at my right hand throughout this contest and if I am successful thereafter Angela will be alongside me as my right hand woman”.

“It is evident that during the referendum, Jeremy Corbyn did not deliver a clear or passionate Labour message for why to vote Remain. It went over 90 minutes, I think, because that reflected her wanting to take contributions from around the table”, the spokeswoman said.

The nominations-gathering process officially closes at 1600 GMT on Wednesday, triggering the formal contest.