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| EU referendum: Jeremy Corbyn aides deny leader to resign | EU referendum: Jeremy Corbyn aides deny leader to resign |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Aides to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have denied he is on the verge of resigning, following the UK's decision to leave the EU. | Aides to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have denied he is on the verge of resigning, following the UK's decision to leave the EU. |
| Mr Corbyn is due to give a speech in London later to set out how the party should move forward. | Mr Corbyn is due to give a speech in London later to set out how the party should move forward. |
| Two Labour MPs have submitted a motion of no confidence in the leader, saying he did not convey a clear EU message. | Two Labour MPs have submitted a motion of no confidence in the leader, saying he did not convey a clear EU message. |
| The motion has no formal constitutional force but calls for a discussion at the party's next PLP meeting on Monday. | The motion has no formal constitutional force but calls for a discussion at the party's next PLP meeting on Monday. |
| The chairman will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday. | The chairman will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday. |
| Secret ballot | Secret ballot |
| BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the Labour leader had faced frank criticism on Friday, first at a meeting of his shadow cabinet, and then in some tense one-to-one encounters with senior colleagues. | BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the Labour leader had faced frank criticism on Friday, first at a meeting of his shadow cabinet, and then in some tense one-to-one encounters with senior colleagues. |
| Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey submitted the motion of no confidence against Mr Corbyn to the Parliamentary Labour Party chairman, John Cryer. | Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey submitted the motion of no confidence against Mr Corbyn to the Parliamentary Labour Party chairman, John Cryer. |
| Mr Cryer will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday. | Mr Cryer will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday. |
| By Friday evening, seven other Labour MPs were on record as backing the motion. | By Friday evening, seven other Labour MPs were on record as backing the motion. |
| It would take 50 MPs uniting around an alternative candidate to trigger a new leadership contest. | It would take 50 MPs uniting around an alternative candidate to trigger a new leadership contest. |
| Labour MP Frank Field - who supported the Leave campaign - said Mr Corbyn "clearly isn't the right person to lead Labour into an election, because nobody thinks he will win". | |
| "We clearly need somebody who the public think of as an alternative prime minister," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
| He admitted the party lacked an obvious alternative to Mr Corbyn, but said he hoped a potential new leader would emerge in a fresh party leadership contest. | |
| Labour was "not very good a listening to the electorate", Mr Field added, saying the party needed to connect with people who were the "losers of globalisation". | |
| "We have got to respond directly to the very large numbers of people in this country who have watched their living standards cut while the upper middle class in this country have actually had the life of riley", he added. | |
| Asked on Friday if he would resign, Mr Corbyn, who campaigned on the losing Remain side, said: "No, I'm carrying on. | Asked on Friday if he would resign, Mr Corbyn, who campaigned on the losing Remain side, said: "No, I'm carrying on. |
| "I'm making the case for unity, I'm making the case of what Labour can offer to Britain, of decent housing for people, of good secure jobs for people, of trade with Europe and of course with other parts of the world. | "I'm making the case for unity, I'm making the case of what Labour can offer to Britain, of decent housing for people, of good secure jobs for people, of trade with Europe and of course with other parts of the world. |
| "Because if we don't get the trade issue right, we've got a real problem in this country," he told Channel 4 News. | "Because if we don't get the trade issue right, we've got a real problem in this country," he told Channel 4 News. |
| Shadow chancellor John McDonnell also dismissed the motion of no confidence, saying Mr Corbyn had a mandate to lead the party and predicted that even if Labour MPs forced a fresh leadership election, party members and supporters would back Mr Corbyn again. | Shadow chancellor John McDonnell also dismissed the motion of no confidence, saying Mr Corbyn had a mandate to lead the party and predicted that even if Labour MPs forced a fresh leadership election, party members and supporters would back Mr Corbyn again. |
| Mr McDonnell also denied that Mr Corbyn was responsible for the vote to leave the EU, and added that a general election looked likely before the end of the year, because a new Conservative leader would want to seek a mandate. | Mr McDonnell also denied that Mr Corbyn was responsible for the vote to leave the EU, and added that a general election looked likely before the end of the year, because a new Conservative leader would want to seek a mandate. |
| 'Clear message' | 'Clear message' |
| But Mr Corbyn's critics accused him of being half-hearted in calling for Labour voters to unite behind Remain. | But Mr Corbyn's critics accused him of being half-hearted in calling for Labour voters to unite behind Remain. |
| Dame Margaret Hodge said Mr Corbyn should resign because the EU referendum had been a "test of leadership" that he had "failed". | Dame Margaret Hodge said Mr Corbyn should resign because the EU referendum had been a "test of leadership" that he had "failed". |
| This left Labour voters "not getting a clear message", she added. | This left Labour voters "not getting a clear message", she added. |
| Dame Margaret is the MP for Barking and the former chairwoman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee. Ms Coffey is the MP for Stockport. | Dame Margaret is the MP for Barking and the former chairwoman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee. Ms Coffey is the MP for Stockport. |
| Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said there were "failures" in Labour's campaign, saying he would need "an awful lot of persuading to have confidence in Jeremy's leadership into a general election", while former minister Ben Bradshaw said he would support the no confidence motion. | Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said there were "failures" in Labour's campaign, saying he would need "an awful lot of persuading to have confidence in Jeremy's leadership into a general election", while former minister Ben Bradshaw said he would support the no confidence motion. |
| Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has also come out in support of the motion, accusing Mr Corbyn of a "lacklustre" campaign. | Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has also come out in support of the motion, accusing Mr Corbyn of a "lacklustre" campaign. |
| An online petition on the website of campaign organisation 38 Degrees calling for "a vote of confidence in Jeremy Corbyn after Brexit" has attracted more than 90,000 signatures. | An online petition on the website of campaign organisation 38 Degrees calling for "a vote of confidence in Jeremy Corbyn after Brexit" has attracted more than 90,000 signatures. |
| 'Stability' | 'Stability' |
| However, in a joint statement, union leaders have backed Mr Corbyn to continue as leader, saying the "last thing Labour needs is a manufactured leadership row of its own". | However, in a joint statement, union leaders have backed Mr Corbyn to continue as leader, saying the "last thing Labour needs is a manufactured leadership row of its own". |
| They called for Labour to "unite as a source of national stability" and challenge any attempt to use the referendum result to "introduce a more right-wing Conservative government by the backdoor". | They called for Labour to "unite as a source of national stability" and challenge any attempt to use the referendum result to "introduce a more right-wing Conservative government by the backdoor". |
| In a leaked briefing note, Labour had told its MPs to say the party "best placed" to re-unite the country following the UK's decision to leave the EU. | In a leaked briefing note, Labour had told its MPs to say the party "best placed" to re-unite the country following the UK's decision to leave the EU. |
| The briefing note said Mr Corbyn was "uniquely placed" because he understood why many people had voted to leave. | The briefing note said Mr Corbyn was "uniquely placed" because he understood why many people had voted to leave. |
| Mr Corbyn won an overwhelming victory in last year's Labour leadership contest, but did not have the backing of most MPs. | Mr Corbyn won an overwhelming victory in last year's Labour leadership contest, but did not have the backing of most MPs. |
| The leader was expected to appear at Glastonbury Festival this weekend, but organisers say he has pulled out in the wake of the EU referendum result. | The leader was expected to appear at Glastonbury Festival this weekend, but organisers say he has pulled out in the wake of the EU referendum result. |