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| Labour leadership debate: Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith face off in Gateshead – live | Labour leadership debate: Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith face off in Gateshead – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.41pm BST | |
| 19:41 | |
| What policies and proposals will you put in place to address Britain's obligations on climate change while addressing the current crisis in energy supply? | |
| The irony of this question while the hustings is still dimly lit has not been lost on the crowd. | |
| Smith says that he would consider a national renewables company, harnessing wind and wave power. “That’s the kind of big idea we need for the big challenges we face.” | |
| Corbyn says we have to “encourage everyone to think about innovation.” He cites houses in his constituency which are heated by excess energy from the London Underground. | |
| “We also have to recognise the need for an environmental approach which is also about sustaining our biodiversity and ecosystem,” he says. | |
| 7.38pm BST | |
| 19:38 | |
| Power cut in the building | |
| The hustings is plunged into darkness. Sophy Ridge quips “maybe it is time to talk about the energy supply?” | |
| Members of the audience are taking out there phones to use as torches... | |
| #Labourdebate plunges into darkness. `I'm the tall one' says @OwenSmith_MP. `Let ther be light says @jeremycorbyn. And still there was none. | |
| Power cut at the Corbyn-Smith hustings - pitch black, now emergency mood lighting. Current question - energy policy. #LabourLeadership | |
| 7.34pm BST | |
| 19:34 | |
| Both are asked about Trident. Both have made their views on this well known before: Corbyn says he is opposed to the renewal because they are “weapons of mass destruction” and the renewal has handed the government a blank cheque; Smith says he wants to see a nuclear free world, but he says he does not believe in unilateral disarmament. | |
| “My history tells me that isn’t going to work, that unfortunately we will need to retain them.” He says he will vote to renew “with a heavy heart”. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.37pm BST | |
| 7.32pm BST | |
| 19:32 | |
| What would you do to keep Britain safe? | |
| Corbyn says we must have a foreign policy “based on human rights, international law, so we become known as a force that is determined to make sure the universal declaration is enforced in all places”. | |
| He gets a huge cheer when he says he opposed the Iraq War, saying foreign policy has consequences. | |
| Smith says police investment is important, and commits to the 2% of GDP on defence spending that is recommended by Nato. But he says more investment also needs to go into community relations. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.36pm BST | |
| 7.30pm BST | |
| 19:30 | |
| What is your strategy for working with businesses to create jobs and growth? | |
| Smith is up first again. He says that partnership is the key, a government with a real industrial strategy “that looks to the future, looks where the jobs of the future are and invests”. He points to Tesla in the US, investing with the US government to create electric engines. “Why not in Britain, why not in Gateshead?” | |
| Corbyn agrees investment in manufacturing and technology is key. “I would start with really good quality apprenticeships … There has to be an investment process by government like in Germany in manufacturing.” He says it is important that the UK has become a service economy reliant on financial services. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.35pm BST | |
| 7.26pm BST | |
| 19:26 | |
| Corbyn says the Tories will now push for a new TTIP-style arrangement with the US and Europe. “Surely we have to stand up for what we believe in and what we want, which is not the enfranchisement of global corporations?” | |
| Huge cheers for this in the room. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.33pm BST | |
| 7.24pm BST | |
| 19:24 | |
| Smith says he fundamentally believes the UK should still be in Europe, and if what is on the table at the end of the negotiations is a worse deal than we have now, “we should say no.” | |
| Corbyn said the strategy should now be to build relationships with sister parties and unions across Europe, and not just those in the European Union. | |
| Smith says he believes that shows Corbyn “never really bought into the idea of remaining in the European Union … You never really liked the idea of the European Union.” | |
| “Are you becoming a mind reader?” Corbyn asks. Smith says he does not need to be a mind reader because Corbyn had opposed the EU for 30 years. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.32pm BST | |
| 7.20pm BST | |
| 19:20 | |
| There’s a pretty balanced number of boos and applause for Smith’s long speech on Europe. | |
| Corbyn is asked to respond to some of the claims. He says there’s “one or two points that need to be made.” His own constituency voted remain by over 70%, he says. (It is Islington.) | |
| He says you cannot ignore some of the issues with the European Union, “that there should be a social Europe rather than a market Europe”. | |
| He says he has met with socialist parties in Europe, set up a Brexit monitoring group but said the decision of the referendum was that we have to leave. You cannot ignore that, he says, and article 50 will be invoked. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.42pm BST | |
| 7.18pm BST | |
| 19:18 | |
| How did you feel on 24 June (after the Brexit vote)? | |
| Corbyn said he felt shocked and saddened but said it had to be accepted that the country had voted out. He says he did not want the UK to be a “bargain basement’ island with low taxes and low workers rights. | |
| Smith says he felt angry and saddened more so than after losing the general election. He says the Labour party did not speak up enough during the crucial period. | |
| We are an internationalist party which believes in peace, co-operation, collaboration between peoples. | |
| Ridge presses him on that, Smith said he believes that Corbyn did not fight hard enough personally. | |
| I thought we could have made a much bigger argument ... Jeremy himself admitted he was 7/10 in his faith in the European Union. Jeremy has been 10/10 when it comes to leaving Europe. | |
| He said last week he didn’t say it but we all know he did. Saying trigger article 50 is like giving David Davis and Liam Fox a blank cheque. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.31pm BST | |
| 7.13pm BST | |
| 19:13 | |
| What would be your flagship policy in an election? | |
| Smith is first up: | |
| My flagship policy would be reinvestment in this country, I think we have for many years now seen many areas fall behind. | |
| I would invest in a British New Deal … a Keynesian investment programme for the healthcare, homes, schools and jobs. | |
| Corbyn says his is to “recognise the National Health Service is the most precious thing we’ve got ... ensure it returns fully to publicly ownership.” | |
| He also says safe homes for children to grow up with, pre-school investment and an national investment bank with up to £500bn. | |
| Ridge asks which is the flagship policy. | |
| Most important to me is that everyone has good health and security, health and housing. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.29pm BST | |
| 7.09pm BST | 7.09pm BST |
| 19:09 | 19:09 |
| And we’re off! Huge cheers as the candidates come on. As the applause dies down, one man shouts “Owen!” and there’s a ripple of laughter. | |
| Sky News’ Sophy Ridge says the candidates drew lots backstage to decide who will answer the questions first. Ridge says she has tried to take questions on a variety of different topics, and questions from different parts of the UK. | Sky News’ Sophy Ridge says the candidates drew lots backstage to decide who will answer the questions first. Ridge says she has tried to take questions on a variety of different topics, and questions from different parts of the UK. |
| The candidates have 40 seconds to answer each question, but will be allowed to expand if the debate needs more detail. | The candidates have 40 seconds to answer each question, but will be allowed to expand if the debate needs more detail. |
| Ridge says heckling, shouting out, even if you passionately disagree, is disrespectful, and says both candidates agree. | |
| Lots of noise as the Labour leadership hustings starts in Gateshead. 'Howay!' shouts one audience member | Lots of noise as the Labour leadership hustings starts in Gateshead. 'Howay!' shouts one audience member |
| Updated | |
| at 7.28pm BST | |
| 7.05pm BST | 7.05pm BST |
| 19:05 | 19:05 |
| We’re a few minutes late starting in Gateshead, but the live stream will start here once we’ve kicked off. | |
| If Labour leadership hustings are your thing, you can submit a question for the upcoming debates here - with the dates listed below. | If Labour leadership hustings are your thing, you can submit a question for the upcoming debates here - with the dates listed below. |
| Birmingham: Thursday 18 AugustGlasgow: Thursday 25 AugustLondon: Thursday 1 September | Birmingham: Thursday 18 AugustGlasgow: Thursday 25 AugustLondon: Thursday 1 September |
| Updated | |
| at 7.27pm BST | |
| 6.45pm BST | 6.45pm BST |
| 18:45 | 18:45 |
| Members and supportive MPs are arriving at the hustings at the Hilton hotel now. The irony of the location has not been lost on some of those attending. | Members and supportive MPs are arriving at the hustings at the Hilton hotel now. The irony of the location has not been lost on some of those attending. |
| Labour, 'party of the workers', hold their North East leadership hustings at.....The Hilton.... pic.twitter.com/dZqLib7XLm | Labour, 'party of the workers', hold their North East leadership hustings at.....The Hilton.... pic.twitter.com/dZqLib7XLm |
| Having @owensmith2016 day - from brill meeting with members & supporters in Durham to Gateshead hustings #Owen2016 pic.twitter.com/hsm63VTEze | Having @owensmith2016 day - from brill meeting with members & supporters in Durham to Gateshead hustings #Owen2016 pic.twitter.com/hsm63VTEze |
| Tonight’s @UKLabour hustings will be in Gateshead. You can watch it live at 7pm by following this link: https://t.co/eGoFeDVrLj | Tonight’s @UKLabour hustings will be in Gateshead. You can watch it live at 7pm by following this link: https://t.co/eGoFeDVrLj |
| Corbyn supporters are amassing outside to support their candidate, the BBC’s Richard Moss reports. | Corbyn supporters are amassing outside to support their candidate, the BBC’s Richard Moss reports. |
| The @jeremycorbyn massive waits for their man outside Gateshead hotel hosting Labour hustings with @OwenSmith_MP pic.twitter.com/hq1Wsh255a | The @jeremycorbyn massive waits for their man outside Gateshead hotel hosting Labour hustings with @OwenSmith_MP pic.twitter.com/hq1Wsh255a |
| 6.32pm BST | 6.32pm BST |
| 18:32 | 18:32 |
| Labour rivals face off in second leadership debate | |
| Jessica Elgot | Jessica Elgot |
| Good evening, we’re live for the second round of hustings between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith for the Labour leadership. | Good evening, we’re live for the second round of hustings between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith for the Labour leadership. |
| This time we’re in Gateshead for the debate moderated by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, in front of an audience of several hundred people. | This time we’re in Gateshead for the debate moderated by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, in front of an audience of several hundred people. |
| There are several more hustings to come before voting opens in late August, with the result set to be announced at a special conference in Liverpool on Saturday 24 September. | There are several more hustings to come before voting opens in late August, with the result set to be announced at a special conference in Liverpool on Saturday 24 September. |
| That could change, however, and much will hinge on the decision tomorrow by the court of appeal on the case brought by five new Labour members against the party after they were denied a vote in the leadership election because of a six-month freeze imposed by the party’s national executive committee. | |
| High court judge Mr Justice Hickinbottom declared last Monday that refusing them the right to vote would amount to a breach of contract but the party has appealed. | |
| Kate Green, the chair of Smith’s leadership campaign, has written to the general secretary of the Labour party, Iain McNicol, calling for a two-week extension to the leadership contest following last week’s high court ruling. | Kate Green, the chair of Smith’s leadership campaign, has written to the general secretary of the Labour party, Iain McNicol, calling for a two-week extension to the leadership contest following last week’s high court ruling. |
| My letter to @UKLabour Gen Sec urging proper time for leadership candidates to engage with Labour movement pic.twitter.com/VEPyVGXepL | My letter to @UKLabour Gen Sec urging proper time for leadership candidates to engage with Labour movement pic.twitter.com/VEPyVGXepL |
| She warned that “giving some members as little as a week between confirming their vote and ballot papers landing is not sufficient time for them to gather the information they will wish to have about the candidates before they cast their vote”. | She warned that “giving some members as little as a week between confirming their vote and ballot papers landing is not sufficient time for them to gather the information they will wish to have about the candidates before they cast their vote”. |
| I’ll be monitoring comments below as far as I can, but you can also tweet me - @jessicaelgot | I’ll be monitoring comments below as far as I can, but you can also tweet me - @jessicaelgot |
| Updated | |
| at 7.26pm BST |