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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Labour leadership: Owen Smith clashes with Jeremy Corbyn over MP 'abuse' | Labour leadership: Owen Smith clashes with Jeremy Corbyn over MP 'abuse' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn has been accused by the man challenging him for the Labour leadership of "licensing" abuse of MPs by his supporters. | Jeremy Corbyn has been accused by the man challenging him for the Labour leadership of "licensing" abuse of MPs by his supporters. |
| Mr Corbyn has condemned harassment and urged people to "lower the temperature" of the debate. | Mr Corbyn has condemned harassment and urged people to "lower the temperature" of the debate. |
| But Owen Smith said he was not doing enough to clamp down on "intolerance and misogyny" on social media. | But Owen Smith said he was not doing enough to clamp down on "intolerance and misogyny" on social media. |
| He accused Mr Corbyn's supporters of engaging in "systematic abuse" of him and other critics of the Labour leader. | He accused Mr Corbyn's supporters of engaging in "systematic abuse" of him and other critics of the Labour leader. |
| Unite trade union leader Len McCluskey has, meanwhile, suggested in an interview with The Guardian, that the security services could be behind the abuse and intimidation of MPs on social media. | |
| Mr McCluskey claims MI5 could be using "dark practices" to "stir up trouble" for Jeremy Corbyn, arguing that spies had infiltrated trade unions in the past, and that the truth about it had been suppressed for 30 years, under the rule on keeping classified documents out of the public domain. | |
| All Labour constituency parties have been suspended for the duration of the leadership campaign amid ongoing turmoil while several MPs who oppose Mr Corbyn have accused his supporters in the Momentum group of trying to intimidate them and their staff. | All Labour constituency parties have been suspended for the duration of the leadership campaign amid ongoing turmoil while several MPs who oppose Mr Corbyn have accused his supporters in the Momentum group of trying to intimidate them and their staff. |
| 'Permissive environment' | |
| Angela Eagle, who withdrew her own leadership bid earlier in the week, has suggested Mr Corbyn was "stirring" the trouble, telling the Daily Telegraph he had encouraged a "permissive environment" within the party and she now feared for her staff's safety. | Angela Eagle, who withdrew her own leadership bid earlier in the week, has suggested Mr Corbyn was "stirring" the trouble, telling the Daily Telegraph he had encouraged a "permissive environment" within the party and she now feared for her staff's safety. |
| The former shadow business secretary says she had her constituency office vandalised last week. | The former shadow business secretary says she had her constituency office vandalised last week. |
| She said on Thursday she was cancelling walk-in surgeries in her Wallasey constituency on police advice - although Merseyside Police later said it had been the MP's decision to do so. | |
| Mr Smith said he agreed with Ms Eagle that Mr Corbyn had not taken nearly a firm enough line on evidence of intimidation, both on social media and elsewhere. | Mr Smith said he agreed with Ms Eagle that Mr Corbyn had not taken nearly a firm enough line on evidence of intimidation, both on social media and elsewhere. |
| "I think Jeremy should take a little more responsibility for what is going on in the Labour Party," he told the BBC News Channel. | "I think Jeremy should take a little more responsibility for what is going on in the Labour Party," he told the BBC News Channel. |
| "After all, we didn't have this kind of abuse, intolerance, misogyny and anti-Semitism in the party before Jeremy Corbyn became leader. | "After all, we didn't have this kind of abuse, intolerance, misogyny and anti-Semitism in the party before Jeremy Corbyn became leader. |
| "Angela is right it has effectively been licensed over the last nine months. | "Angela is right it has effectively been licensed over the last nine months. |
| "It is not good enough for Jeremy to say he has threats too. I have had threats too and I am telling him 'it has got to be stamped out and we have to have zero tolerance' of this in the Labour Party. | "It is not good enough for Jeremy to say he has threats too. I have had threats too and I am telling him 'it has got to be stamped out and we have to have zero tolerance' of this in the Labour Party. |
| "The truth is many of the people who are heaping abuse on people are Jeremy's supporters. It is just a fact that it is Jeremy's side of the argument that is engaging in this great volume of abuse." | "The truth is many of the people who are heaping abuse on people are Jeremy's supporters. It is just a fact that it is Jeremy's side of the argument that is engaging in this great volume of abuse." |
| 'Ring my Dad' | |
| Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said both he and Mr Corbyn had been the target of abuse themselves and the Labour leader had "moved heaven and earth" to try to stamp it out. | Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said both he and Mr Corbyn had been the target of abuse themselves and the Labour leader had "moved heaven and earth" to try to stamp it out. |
| He called on Mr Smith to "stop attacking Jeremy personally" after the MP compared Mr Corbyn to under-fire retailer Sports Direct. | He called on Mr Smith to "stop attacking Jeremy personally" after the MP compared Mr Corbyn to under-fire retailer Sports Direct. |
| "We want a political discussion not a personalised one," he told the BBC News Channel. | "We want a political discussion not a personalised one," he told the BBC News Channel. |
| As the rift between Mr Corbyn and the majority of his MPs grows, one frontbencher has suggested the Labour leader had threatened to "ring his dad" - who is a Sinn Fein councillor - after the MP said he needed to reach out traditional Labour voters in a magazine interview. | As the rift between Mr Corbyn and the majority of his MPs grows, one frontbencher has suggested the Labour leader had threatened to "ring his dad" - who is a Sinn Fein councillor - after the MP said he needed to reach out traditional Labour voters in a magazine interview. |
| Conor McGinn, the MP for St Helens North, told Politics Home he had been subjected to a "torrent of abuse" by the Labour leader's supporters in recent weeks but his claims have been denied by the party leadership. | Conor McGinn, the MP for St Helens North, told Politics Home he had been subjected to a "torrent of abuse" by the Labour leader's supporters in recent weeks but his claims have been denied by the party leadership. |
| But Mr Corbyn said he had spoken out against "any forms of abuse whatsoever in politics or public life" and had immediately contacted Ms Eagle after he learnt of claims a brick had been thrown through the window of her constituency office, which is being investigated by police. | But Mr Corbyn said he had spoken out against "any forms of abuse whatsoever in politics or public life" and had immediately contacted Ms Eagle after he learnt of claims a brick had been thrown through the window of her constituency office, which is being investigated by police. |
| The Labour leader, who launched his official re-election campaign on Thursday, said he had put in place a "very clear" code of conduct for how he and his supporters should behave during the two-month leadership contest - to be decided on 24 September. | The Labour leader, who launched his official re-election campaign on Thursday, said he had put in place a "very clear" code of conduct for how he and his supporters should behave during the two-month leadership contest - to be decided on 24 September. |
| "I have made it clear that harassment and abusive language have absolutely no place in our political discourse. | "I have made it clear that harassment and abusive language have absolutely no place in our political discourse. |
| "I receive plenty of abusive language and I do not respond to it any way because I don't want to demean myself or promote the person who is using that kind of abusive language. I think we should lower the temperature and increase the quality of our debate." | "I receive plenty of abusive language and I do not respond to it any way because I don't want to demean myself or promote the person who is using that kind of abusive language. I think we should lower the temperature and increase the quality of our debate." |
| Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman said Mr Corbyn had failed to reassure MPs who did not support him that they would not be prevented from standing again at the next election. | Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman said Mr Corbyn had failed to reassure MPs who did not support him that they would not be prevented from standing again at the next election. |
| The Labour leader has said it was up to party members to decide whether the process of mandatory re-selection should continue or the procedures should be "widened". | The Labour leader has said it was up to party members to decide whether the process of mandatory re-selection should continue or the procedures should be "widened". |
| Ms Harman said: "It's not clear whether what he's doing is trying to explain the current rules or whether or not there's a new set of rules and what they are but I think that either way, it's evidence that Jeremy's not capable of leading the party in a united way." | Ms Harman said: "It's not clear whether what he's doing is trying to explain the current rules or whether or not there's a new set of rules and what they are but I think that either way, it's evidence that Jeremy's not capable of leading the party in a united way." |
| Mr Corbyn will seek to galvanise his own supporters at a series of UK-wide meetings on Saturday - with rallies in Salford, London, Bristol, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Hull, Glasgow and Cambridge. | Mr Corbyn will seek to galvanise his own supporters at a series of UK-wide meetings on Saturday - with rallies in Salford, London, Bristol, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Hull, Glasgow and Cambridge. |
| His campaign team say Mr Corbyn is building an "election-winning operation" based on digital networks and the explosion in party membership in recent weeks. | His campaign team say Mr Corbyn is building an "election-winning operation" based on digital networks and the explosion in party membership in recent weeks. |