Welshman Owen Smith is now the only person challenging Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest, with Angel Eagle pulling out.
Owen, the former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, made a direct bid to Labour members to abandon Mr Corbyn after he became the only moderate candidate left as Angela Eagle quit the race.
Speaking after becoming the Labour rebels’ “unity candidate”, Mr Smith said it was time for a “new generation” of politicians to take forward the party.
He also hinted that Ms Eagle had been offered a senior job in his shadow cabinet to step aside, saying she would be his “right hand woman” if he wins.
Ms Eagle’s departure from the race after she failed to win more support from MPs than Mr Smith means that Labour’s next party leader will not be a woman.
Mr Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, now faces an uphill task to unseat Mr Corbyn after a YouGov poll put him more than 20 points behind the incumbent among party members.
More than 55,000 people have paid £25 to vote in the Labour leadership race this week, with most expected to be Mr Corbyn’s backers and tens of thousands more likely to sign up today before the deadline.
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings soar as Angela Eagle withdraws from Labour leadership race and pledges support to Owen Smith
Michael Wilkinson, Political Correspondent
Laura Hughes, Political Correspondent
19 July 2016
The Telegraph
Angela Eagle drops out of Labour leadership contest
Owen Smith will challenge Corbyn as 'unity candidate'
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings among members soar
Smith: 'I am just as radical as Corbyn'
Race to recruit £25 supporters by Wednesday 5pm
Owen Smith insisted he was just as “radical” as Jeremy Corbyn as the Labour leader signed up tens of thousands of supporters to back his re-election in the head-to-head contest, reports Ben Riley-Smith.
The former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary made a direct bid to Labour members to abandon Mr Corbyn after he became the only moderate candidate left as Angela Eagle quit the race.
Speaking after becoming the Labour rebels’ “unity candidate”, Mr Smith said it was time for a “new generation” of politicians to take forward the party.
He also hinted that Ms Eagle had been offered a senior job in his shadow cabinet to step aside, saying she would be his “right hand woman” if he wins.
Ms Eagle’s departure from the race after she failed to win more support from MPs than Mr Smith means that Labour’s next party leader will not be a woman.
Mr Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, now faces an uphill task to unseat Mr Corbyn after a YouGov poll put him more than 20 points behind the incumbent among party members.
More than 55,000 people have paid £25 to vote in the Labour leadership race this week, with most expected to be Mr Corbyn’s backers and tens of thousands more likely to sign up today before the deadline.
The Labour leader’s opponents are now bracing themselves for a brutal purge of moderates and a possible party split if Mr Corbyn wins when result is announced on September 24.
Owen Smith MP Credit: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
Sources believe the leader’s office will “bayonet survivors” and “clean out of the gene pool” by attempting to drive rebels out of the party if he wins the summer contest.
They fear Mr Corbyn will force MPs to face mandatory re-selection, tighten party rules to protect him from future coups and seek to depose the current Labour general secretary in retribution for the rebellion.
Ms Eagle announced her decision to step out of the leadership race after attracting less support from colleagues than Mr Smith, who won nominations from 88 MPs including former leader Ed Miliband and two MEPs.
Labour did not publish a breakdown of Ms Eagle’s nominations but it is believed she got the backing of just 70 MPs and MEPs.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during Monday's Trident debate
Announcing her decision in Parliament, Ms Eagle said: "We have a Labour Party at the moment that is not working, we've got a leader that doesn't have the confidence of his MPs and isn't reaching out to the country.
"We need to have a strong and united Labour Party so we can be a good opposition, take the fight to the Conservative Government and heal our country.
"So I am announcing tonight that I will be supporting Owen in that endeavour with all my enthusiasm and might."
Ms Eagle failed to deny she had been offered a shadow cabinet post to step aside, saying only that she would work in “lockstep” with Mr Smith to win him the contest.
Angela Eagle MP
Speaking later, Mr Smith predicted he would win the leadership despite the odds and appealed directly to party members who will decide the contest.
“I want to say to all members of the Labour Party tonight, young and old, long-standing and new members: I can be their champion. I am just as radical as Jeremy Corbyn,” he said.
Mr Smith added: “We do need a new generation of Labour men and women to take this party forward, to get us ready for government once more. We’ve been on the sidelines for too long.”
He promised to campaign in a “comradely, kind, gentlemanly” manner against Mr Corbyn but pledged to challenge him on the issues.
Mr Smith also praised Ms Eagle as a “great” politician and friend who would be at his “right-hand side” throughout the campaign.
Ms Eagle’s supporters expressed frustration last night that she had been used as a stalking horse to trigger a contest before some MPs abandoned her for another candidate.
However publicly they were rallying around Mr Smith in a show of unity and called for moderates to pay £25 to vote in the leadership race before the end of today.
Mr Smith is expected to combine a left-wing platform that includes anti-austerity economic policies with a clear pro-EU stance in his bid to win the leadership.
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings soar as Angela Eagle withdraws from Labour leadership race and pledges support to Owen Smith*
Owen, the former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, made a direct bid to Labour members to abandon Mr Corbyn after he became the only moderate candidate left as Angela Eagle quit the race.
Speaking after becoming the Labour rebels’ “unity candidate”, Mr Smith said it was time for a “new generation” of politicians to take forward the party.
He also hinted that Ms Eagle had been offered a senior job in his shadow cabinet to step aside, saying she would be his “right hand woman” if he wins.
Ms Eagle’s departure from the race after she failed to win more support from MPs than Mr Smith means that Labour’s next party leader will not be a woman.
Mr Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, now faces an uphill task to unseat Mr Corbyn after a YouGov poll put him more than 20 points behind the incumbent among party members.
More than 55,000 people have paid £25 to vote in the Labour leadership race this week, with most expected to be Mr Corbyn’s backers and tens of thousands more likely to sign up today before the deadline.
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings soar as Angela Eagle withdraws from Labour leadership race and pledges support to Owen Smith
Michael Wilkinson, Political Correspondent
Laura Hughes, Political Correspondent
19 July 2016
The Telegraph
Angela Eagle drops out of Labour leadership contest
Owen Smith will challenge Corbyn as 'unity candidate'
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings among members soar
Smith: 'I am just as radical as Corbyn'
Race to recruit £25 supporters by Wednesday 5pm
Owen Smith insisted he was just as “radical” as Jeremy Corbyn as the Labour leader signed up tens of thousands of supporters to back his re-election in the head-to-head contest, reports Ben Riley-Smith.
The former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary made a direct bid to Labour members to abandon Mr Corbyn after he became the only moderate candidate left as Angela Eagle quit the race.
Speaking after becoming the Labour rebels’ “unity candidate”, Mr Smith said it was time for a “new generation” of politicians to take forward the party.
He also hinted that Ms Eagle had been offered a senior job in his shadow cabinet to step aside, saying she would be his “right hand woman” if he wins.
Ms Eagle’s departure from the race after she failed to win more support from MPs than Mr Smith means that Labour’s next party leader will not be a woman.
Mr Smith, the MP for Pontypridd, now faces an uphill task to unseat Mr Corbyn after a YouGov poll put him more than 20 points behind the incumbent among party members.
More than 55,000 people have paid £25 to vote in the Labour leadership race this week, with most expected to be Mr Corbyn’s backers and tens of thousands more likely to sign up today before the deadline.
The Labour leader’s opponents are now bracing themselves for a brutal purge of moderates and a possible party split if Mr Corbyn wins when result is announced on September 24.
Owen Smith MP Credit: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
Sources believe the leader’s office will “bayonet survivors” and “clean out of the gene pool” by attempting to drive rebels out of the party if he wins the summer contest.
They fear Mr Corbyn will force MPs to face mandatory re-selection, tighten party rules to protect him from future coups and seek to depose the current Labour general secretary in retribution for the rebellion.
Ms Eagle announced her decision to step out of the leadership race after attracting less support from colleagues than Mr Smith, who won nominations from 88 MPs including former leader Ed Miliband and two MEPs.
Labour did not publish a breakdown of Ms Eagle’s nominations but it is believed she got the backing of just 70 MPs and MEPs.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during Monday's Trident debate
Announcing her decision in Parliament, Ms Eagle said: "We have a Labour Party at the moment that is not working, we've got a leader that doesn't have the confidence of his MPs and isn't reaching out to the country.
"We need to have a strong and united Labour Party so we can be a good opposition, take the fight to the Conservative Government and heal our country.
"So I am announcing tonight that I will be supporting Owen in that endeavour with all my enthusiasm and might."
Ms Eagle failed to deny she had been offered a shadow cabinet post to step aside, saying only that she would work in “lockstep” with Mr Smith to win him the contest.
Angela Eagle MP
Speaking later, Mr Smith predicted he would win the leadership despite the odds and appealed directly to party members who will decide the contest.
“I want to say to all members of the Labour Party tonight, young and old, long-standing and new members: I can be their champion. I am just as radical as Jeremy Corbyn,” he said.
Mr Smith added: “We do need a new generation of Labour men and women to take this party forward, to get us ready for government once more. We’ve been on the sidelines for too long.”
He promised to campaign in a “comradely, kind, gentlemanly” manner against Mr Corbyn but pledged to challenge him on the issues.
Mr Smith also praised Ms Eagle as a “great” politician and friend who would be at his “right-hand side” throughout the campaign.
Ms Eagle’s supporters expressed frustration last night that she had been used as a stalking horse to trigger a contest before some MPs abandoned her for another candidate.
However publicly they were rallying around Mr Smith in a show of unity and called for moderates to pay £25 to vote in the leadership race before the end of today.
Mr Smith is expected to combine a left-wing platform that includes anti-austerity economic policies with a clear pro-EU stance in his bid to win the leadership.
Jeremy Corbyn's poll ratings soar as Angela Eagle withdraws from Labour leadership race and pledges support to Owen Smith*
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