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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Corbyn: Tom Watson says Labour leadership election ‘inevitable’ | Jeremy Corbyn: Tom Watson says Labour leadership election ‘inevitable’ |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has said a leadership contest is “inevitable” after Jeremy Corbyn remained defiant and refused to stand aside. | Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has said a leadership contest is “inevitable” after Jeremy Corbyn remained defiant and refused to stand aside. |
| A source close to Mr Watson told the Press Association that he had tried to talk to Mr Corbyn about standing down but he refused to "engage". | A source close to Mr Watson told the Press Association that he had tried to talk to Mr Corbyn about standing down but he refused to "engage". |
| The deputy leader will not be a candidate in the contest, the source added. | The deputy leader will not be a candidate in the contest, the source added. |
| "He tried to talk to him about going. He didn't want to engage. He won't stand himself but a leadership election is now inevitable," the source said. | "He tried to talk to him about going. He didn't want to engage. He won't stand himself but a leadership election is now inevitable," the source said. |
| It comes after the embattled Labour leader suffered a defeat yesterday when members of the parliamentary party voted against him in a no confidence motion – by a margin of 172 to 40. | It comes after the embattled Labour leader suffered a defeat yesterday when members of the parliamentary party voted against him in a no confidence motion – by a margin of 172 to 40. |
| Speaking to the BBC, Mr Watson accused shadow Chancellor John McDonnell of refusing to allow Mr Corbyn to stand down. | |
| He added: "My party is in peril, we are facing an existential crisis and I just don't want us to be in this position because I think there are millions of people in this country who need a left-leaning government." | |
| Mr McDonnell acknowledged that “we are likely to see a candidate come forward to challenge Jeremy,” but told Sky News Mr Corbyn “is not going anywhere”. | |
| But the shadow Chancellor said it was “ludicrous” to suggest he was trying to prevent Mr Corbyn from quitting. | |
| “Having just seen Jeremy, he is buoyant, he is campaigning, he is doing his work here - he is not going anywhere," he added. | |
| “He is basically standing as the leader of the Labour Party, if there is a contest he will be standing again.” | |
| A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “Jeremy Corbyn is determined to carry on with the job he was democratically elected to do." |