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EU referendum: Corbyn will fight any leadership challenge EU referendum: Corbyn tells activists 'I did all I could'
(about 4 hours later)
Jeremy Corbyn has said he will not stand down if there is a challenge to his leadership of the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn has told angry Labour activists he did all he could to prevent the UK leaving the EU.
He is facing a vote of no confidence over what some of his MPs called his "lacklustre" campaigning for Remain in the EU referendum. The Labour leader is facing a no confidence vote over his "lacklustre" campaign for a remain vote.
He cited a petition urging him to stay on and vowed to fight to protect workers' rights in Brexit negotiations. He vowed to fight off any leadership challenges, and told one activist who heckled him as he attended a Pride march in London: "I did all I could."
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said Mr Corbyn "worked himself to the ground" during the four-month campaign.
Mr Corbyn was confronted by Labour Party activist Tom Mauchline at the Pride event, who shouted: "It's your fault, Jeremy. When are you resigning? You need to resign."
During the exchanges, which were filmed and posted on Twitter, Mr Mauchline can be heard saying: "I had a Polish friend in tears because you couldn't get out the vote in Wales, the North and the Midlands."
Mr Mauchline later said he had not known Mr Corbyn would be at the event and became "so angry" when he found out.
"It just seemed like a cynical attempt to use the LGBT community to shore up his weak leadership," he added.
Labour MP Angela Smith told BBC News she and her colleagues are receiving texts and emails from party members "indicating real dissatisfaction with Jeremy's leadership", describing his performance as "nondescript" and "half-hearted".
'Totally amazed'
She added: "Given there's a really strong chance of a general election, and given the importance of taking the country forward to stability, it's really important we've got a really strong leader in place. Jeremy Corbyn we don't believe is that person."
In a speech on Saturday, Mr Corbyn vowed to ensure Labour's voice was heard on workers' rights, protecting the environment and human rights in the negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU - and he suggested those negotiations should happen soon.
Quizzed afterwards about claims he had run a "half-hearted" campaign for a Remain vote, he said: "Two-thirds of Labour voters voted for Remain in response to our party's call for that."
He added: "There are some people in the Parliamentary Labour Party who would probably want somebody else being the leader of this party, they have made that abundantly clear in the past few days."
Asked if he would stand again if there was a challenge to his leadership, he said: "Yes, I'm here, thank you."
He said he had been "totally amazed" that an online petition had attracted 140,000 signatures from people who do not want Labour spending the next two months debating the party's leadership.
'Did his job'
He also announced a review of immigration policy and ruled out a new EU referendum if Labour wins power.He also announced a review of immigration policy and ruled out a new EU referendum if Labour wins power.
He said: "The referendum has taken place, a decision has been made, I think we have got to respect that decision and work out our relationship with Europe in the future."He said: "The referendum has taken place, a decision has been made, I think we have got to respect that decision and work out our relationship with Europe in the future."
An online petition calling for a second referendum has passed a million signatures.An online petition calling for a second referendum has passed a million signatures.
'Totally amazed' Mr McDonnell told BBC News it was wrong to blame Mr Corbyn for the Brexit vote.
Mr Corbyn was quizzed at an event in London about claims he had run a "half-hearted" campaign for a Remain vote in the EU referendum. "He did his job. He worked himself in to the ground doing meetings after meetings," he said.
He said: "Two-thirds of Labour voters voted for Remain in response to our party's call for that." "Now trying to blame him or anyone else for what is the democratic decision of our country is wrong. We have just got to say people have made their minds up, they've made a decision, respect it."
He argued that he ran a campaign, travelling the length and breadth of the country, pointing out difficulties in the EU, while calling for better levels of protection as part of the EU. He said talk of leadership challenges and confidence motions were a "complete distraction".
Mr Corbyn added: "There are some people in the Parliamentary Labour Party who would probably want somebody else being the leader of this party, they have made that abundantly clear in the past few days." "I think people out there in the real world, our constituents, just want us to get on with the job of getting the best deal possible for them," he added.
Asked if he would stand again if there was a challenge to his leadership, he said: "Yes, I'm here, thank you." Two Labour MPs - Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey - have submitted a motion of no confidence in Mr Corbyn.
He said he had been "totally amazed" that an online petition has attracted 140,000 signatures from people who do not want Labour spending the next two months debating the party's leadership.
He blamed the media for focusing on Conservative Party infighting rather than on the Labour message for the UK to remain in the EU.
'Half-hearted'
He said he was not afraid to discuss the issue of immigration but declined to say whether Labour might now back a more restrictive immigration policy or a points-based system.
In a speech, he vowed to ensure Labour's voice was heard on workers' rights, protecting the environment and human rights in the negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU - and he suggested those negotiations should happen soon.
"The whole country has got to come together in the wake of what has been a very divisive referendum campaign, discuss the consequences calmly and rationally, and I want Labour to lead that debate," he told supporters.
Mr Corbyn was heckled as he attended a Pride event in London, with some attendees blaming him for failing to get the Labour vote out in Thursday's referendum and calling on him to resign.
The Labour leader is being blamed by some of his own MPs for not campaigning hard enough to keep Britain in the EU.
Two Labour MPs - Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey - have submitted a motion of no confidence in him.
Mrs Coffey told BBC News: "The result of the referendum was a disastrous result for us and the leadership must bear a share of the responsibility for that.Mrs Coffey told BBC News: "The result of the referendum was a disastrous result for us and the leadership must bear a share of the responsibility for that.
"It was a lacklustre campaign, it didn't contain a strong enough message and the leader himself appeared half-hearted about it."It was a lacklustre campaign, it didn't contain a strong enough message and the leader himself appeared half-hearted about it.
"If you have got a leader who appears half-hearted, you can hardly be surprised if the public feels the same way.""If you have got a leader who appears half-hearted, you can hardly be surprised if the public feels the same way."
'Decent thing''Decent thing'
The confidence motion has no formal constitutional force but calls for a discussion at the next meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday.The confidence motion has no formal constitutional force but calls for a discussion at the next meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday.
The PLP chairman, Labour MP John Cryer, will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday.The PLP chairman, Labour MP John Cryer, will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday.
The motions backers Mrs Coffey and Dame Margaret Hodge hope it will help build a sense that confidence in Mr Corbyn is draining away, forcing him to quit. The motion's backers Mrs Coffey and Dame Hodge hope it will help build a sense that confidence in Mr Corbyn is draining away, forcing him to quit.
Dame Margaret said: "I hope, in the context of a secret ballot, that there will be overwhelming support for this motion I am putting and Jeremy will do the decent thing and resign."
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn labelled Dame Margaret's move as "a bit of a self-indulgent act"
It would take 50 MPs uniting around an alternative candidate to trigger a new leadership contest but none have so far come forward.It would take 50 MPs uniting around an alternative candidate to trigger a new leadership contest but none have so far come forward.
'Nice guy'
Caroline Flint, a former minister on the right of the party, said she would not rule herself out of a leadership bid.Caroline Flint, a former minister on the right of the party, said she would not rule herself out of a leadership bid.
"! think I could be a good leader," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "! think I could be a good leader," she told BBC Radio 5 live.
She said there was "concern across the spectrum" in the party about "whether Jeremy can deliver".She said there was "concern across the spectrum" in the party about "whether Jeremy can deliver".
"I think he's a decent guy, a nice guy but we've had lots of decent, nice guys who can't win elections," she added."I think he's a decent guy, a nice guy but we've had lots of decent, nice guys who can't win elections," she added.
Speculation that Mr Corbyn could step down and recommend shadow chancellor John McDonnell as his replacement has been dismissed as "nonsense" by Mr McDonnell's aides.
Mr McDonnell said 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.
Union backing
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.
By Friday evening, seven other Labour MPs were on record as backing the motion.
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".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."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. Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, former minister Ben Bradshaw and MP Stephen Kinnock are among those backing the no confidence motion.
Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, former minister Ben Bradshaw and MP Stephen Kinnock are among those backing the confidence motion.
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 from the general public.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 from the general public.
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".