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| Jeremy Corbyn suffers heavy loss in Labour MPs confidence vote | Jeremy Corbyn suffers heavy loss in Labour MPs confidence vote |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Labour party is on track for a bruising leadership contest after Jeremy Corbyn was overwhelmingly defeated in a confidence vote. | The Labour party is on track for a bruising leadership contest after Jeremy Corbyn was overwhelmingly defeated in a confidence vote. |
| A total of 172 MPs said they had no confidence in Corbyn while 40 voted for him. Four ballot papers were spoilt and another 13 MPs did not vote. | |
| But Corbyn issued a defiant statement in response, saying he would not betray those who voted for him by resigning. “I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60% of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Today’s vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy,” he said. | |
| “We are a democratic party, with a clear constitution. Our people need Labour party members, trade unionists and MPs to unite behind my leadership at a critical time for our country.” | |
| But the result is likely to lead to a direct challenge to Corbyn as some politicians scramble to collect enough nominations to trigger a formal challenge to his leadership. | |
| Related: Brexit live: Jeremy Corbyn loses no confidence motion | |
| Angela Eagle, who stepped down as shadow business secretary in an attempted coup that has seriously destabilised the party’s Westminster operation, is thought to be the most likely contender to take on her leader. | Angela Eagle, who stepped down as shadow business secretary in an attempted coup that has seriously destabilised the party’s Westminster operation, is thought to be the most likely contender to take on her leader. |
| But the deputy leader, Tom Watson, and Yvette Cooper are also being talked about as possible alternatives. | |
| The party is preparing itself for a legal battle over whether Corbyn is automatically placed back on the ballot for the contest, or whether he will have to collect nominations. There are at least two sets of legal advice on the issue, with differing conclusions. | The party is preparing itself for a legal battle over whether Corbyn is automatically placed back on the ballot for the contest, or whether he will have to collect nominations. There are at least two sets of legal advice on the issue, with differing conclusions. |
| Corbyn’s team say it is beyond question that he would run again. “The people who elect the leader of the Labour party are the members of the Labour party and Jeremy has made that crystal clear. He’s not going to concede to a corridor coup or backroom deal which tries to flush him out,” a Labour spokesman said on Monday night. “He was elected by an overwhelming majority of the Labour party. He is not going to betray those people and stand down because of pressure.” | |
| Corbyn faced a tough encounter on Monday with his party’s MPs, who repeatedly told him to resign during a tense meeting of the PLP, while a growing crowd of Corbyn supporters gathered in a rally in Parliament Square. | Corbyn faced a tough encounter on Monday with his party’s MPs, who repeatedly told him to resign during a tense meeting of the PLP, while a growing crowd of Corbyn supporters gathered in a rally in Parliament Square. |
| Related: Labour has split before – can its big heart withstand the current ruptions? | Martin Kettle | |
| MPs were furious that the party leader left the meeting and went to address the crowd defiantly. | MPs were furious that the party leader left the meeting and went to address the crowd defiantly. |
| One Labour MP said after Tuesday’s vote that it looked like Corbyn would struggle to get the nominations. “It is clear his behaviour last night in whipping up a rally of largely non-Labour members and his refusal to accept any blame for the referendum defeat turned off a number of colleagues from the left who were considering abstaining or voting for him,” the MP said. | |
| “MPs have been inundated all day with emails from Corbyn supporters who have lost confidence in him and that has shifted the mood well beyond the usual suspects.” | |
| But those close to the leader said the crowd outside parliament on Monday night were Labour supporters and argued that MPs were out of touch with ordinary party members. | |
| On Tuesday Cooper had warned that Corbyn had no alternative plan for the country’s post-Brexit future, in a speech in which she said she would not rule out standing for the Labour leadership should the position fall vacant. | |
| She said time was running out for progressive opposition figures to begin setting out their stall for what a departed UK should look like. | She said time was running out for progressive opposition figures to begin setting out their stall for what a departed UK should look like. |
| The former shadow home secretary, who lost to Corbyn when she ran for the leadership last year, said a leader “who cannot even fill a shadow frontbench” was not the person who should be at the table representing the party while the Conservatives shaped a new deal with Europe. | The former shadow home secretary, who lost to Corbyn when she ran for the leadership last year, said a leader “who cannot even fill a shadow frontbench” was not the person who should be at the table representing the party while the Conservatives shaped a new deal with Europe. |
| “There is a political vacuum just when political leadership is needed most,” Cooper said in her speech at the Centre for European Reform. “We are here without a plan because politics has failed. No alternative government. No alternative plan.” | “There is a political vacuum just when political leadership is needed most,” Cooper said in her speech at the Centre for European Reform. “We are here without a plan because politics has failed. No alternative government. No alternative plan.” |
| Meanwhile Andy Slaughter stepped down as a shadow minister after declining the offer of a role in the shadow cabinet. The loss of the London MP was seen as bruising for Corbyn, given his leftwing credentials, but the leader’s supporters point out that he did not back their man last year. | Meanwhile Andy Slaughter stepped down as a shadow minister after declining the offer of a role in the shadow cabinet. The loss of the London MP was seen as bruising for Corbyn, given his leftwing credentials, but the leader’s supporters point out that he did not back their man last year. |
| Diane Abbott, the new shadow health secretary, said the no-confidence vote had no status under the party rulebook. “It has no meaning,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “MPs don’t choose the leader of the Labour party, the party does.” | Diane Abbott, the new shadow health secretary, said the no-confidence vote had no status under the party rulebook. “It has no meaning,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “MPs don’t choose the leader of the Labour party, the party does.” |