Corbyn Tells Labour Rebels They Are Free To Challenge His Leadership

“Over the last week, I have been contacted by hundreds of Labour members and MPs deeply anxious that the Labour Party is truly in danger of splitting apart”.

More than 80 per cent of Labour MPs voted against their own leader in a no confidence motion but Mr Corbyn has so far resisted those calls and told MPs to remember the overwhelming support he received from party members when he was elected leader previous year.

Mr Umunna withdrew his candidacy to be Labour leader past year after just a few days, claiming he was unprepared for the scrutiny which his family and friends would come under. “Jeremy Corbyn needs to go”.

“And Jeremy is a vain man”, said Kinnock, referring to Corbyn’s refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence motion among Labour MPs.

“The problem is most of his Labour MPs have more allegiance to Tony Blair than they do to Jeremy Corbyn so we now have a hopelessly divided Labour Party”, Sidney Cordle, the party leader, said.

On Mr Corbyn and activists such as Momentum who support him, the source said: “When people get weaker, they shout louder”.

After the Brexit vote Mr Johnson delivered a stinging verdict on Mr Corbyn’s performance during the European Referendum, claiming the Labour leader’s office had “undermined” Labour’s Remain campaign.

“Damn it, this is our party, I have been in it for 60 years, I’m not leaving it to anybody”.

However Corbyn has said he will not quit and a leadership challenge, possibly from Angela Eagle, is likely.

Lord Kinnock, who led Labour from 1983 until 1992, says supporters of Corbyn needed to “wake up” and realise he would not be elected prime minister by the country.

A meeting of Brent Central Labour branch voted through a pro-Corbyn motion in a sign that the grass roots members are being mobilised to defend the Islington left-winger. “Labour needs new, fresh, competent leadership”.

An overwhelming majority of Labour MPs passed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn.

Eagle, who is tipped as a contender in a leadership contest, said: “The country doesn’t have an effective opposition at the moment”.

Given how few supporters Mr Corbyn has left among Labour MPs and MEPs, he might struggle to find 50 who are prepared to nominate him. And if he is challenged, many Labour MPs fear he would be re-elected.