Smith, Corbyn battle for UK Labour leadership

Former shadow secretary of state for work and pensions Smith will go head to head against Corbyn for the party leadership.

Mr Smith also announced that Labour MP Kate Green will be the chair of his campaign, while former Shadow Cabinet members Heidi Alexander and Lisa Nandy will be co-chairs.

He said he had not made the incident public until now ” because I find it shocking and embarrassing, and nearly unbelievable”.

“Of course he’s very welcome to come back and I hope he would”.

A Labour MP has claimed Jeremy Corbyn threatened to call his dad after he publicly criticised the party leader.

City councillor Christopher Robinson, chairman of Stoke-on-Trent South Constituency Labour Party, backed Mr Corbyn’s original leadership bid and is supporting him again.

“It was evident they were not happy with Jeremy’s response and proposals”.

“To those that may not agree with me politically or may not even like me personally I hold out the hand of friendship to them all”.

Corbyn, 67, launched his leadership campaign – styling himself as “the people’s voice” by rejecting criticism from his rivals that his leadership style was ineffective and that his policies weren’t strong enough to win a national election, due in 2020.

The battle for control of the party – seen as a shootout between the party’s more moderate and socialist factions – will determine Labour’s political priorities as Britain sets about negotiating its exit from the European Union.

“Because politics has to be about bringing people in, and I think we’ve done that spectacularly well”.

ALLEGATIONS of bullying and intimidation have led to the suspension of Wallasey Labour Party.

Ms Eagle told the Daily Telegraph: “I think he has contributed to this”.

Neale Coleman has been appointed Mr Smith’s chief policy adviser – virtually the same role he fulfilled for Mr Corbyn until he quit in January.

Mr Corbyn’s office dismissed the claims as “untrue” but St Helens North MP Mr McGinn accused the party leader of hypocrisy for talking about a “kinder, gentler politics” when “he had proposed using my family against me”. The Labour Party leader has issued many statements condemning direct action against MPs, but Ms Eagle said he had not done enough to tackle the culture of abuse. Some of our Jewish MPs have been subject to anti-semitic abuse, some of our Asian MPs have been subjected to abuse.

She added: “The Labour Party may be about to spend several months fighting and tearing itself apart”.

But subsequently, through his spokesman, he had asked for an apology and retraction, which Mr McGinn refused to do.

While Mr Corbyn continues to enjoy widespread support in Islington – the Tribune received a flurry of letters backing him this week – it has also become clear in recent weeks that some sections of the membership are, however, disillusioned with his stewardship.