Challenger Angela Eagle withdrew from the contest to lead Britain&#39;s main opposition Labour Party on Tuesday and backed rival Owen Smith in a unity bid to oust embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m withdrawing from this race and supporting Owen,&quot; Eagle told journalists in parliament&nbsp;after Smith secured more nominations from the party&#39;s members of the British and European parliaments. 
 
Smith will now go forward alone to fight socialist stalwart Corbyn in a ballot of party members, trade unionists and registered supporters which ends on September 24. 
 
Labour is in deep crisis with Corbyn wildly popular among the party&#39;s grassroots, but deeply at odds with an overwhelming majority of his MPs. 
 
They believe he is an incapable leader driving the party towards another crushing general election defeat in 2020 with an uncompromisingly leftist platform that cannot win over swing voters who backed the Conservatives at the 2015 election. 
 
Eagle was the first to announce a challenge in the aftermath of Britain&#39;s June 23 referendum vote to leave the European Union. 
 
Labour&#39;s policy was for Britain to stay in the EU but Corbyn, who has a long history of euro scepticism, was accused of leading a half-hearted campaign that failed to stir traditional Labour-voting areas. Corbyn lost the support of three-quarters of the party&#39;s MPs in a subsequent vote of confidence on June 28 but refused to step down, triggering Eagle, and then Smith, to come forward.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We have a Labour Party at the moment that is not working. We&#39;ve got a leader that doesn&#39;t have the confidence of his members of parliament and isn&#39;t reaching out to the country,&quot; Eagle said. 
 
&quot;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. 
 
&quot;So I am announcing tonight that I will be supporting Owen.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are going to be in lock-step together arguing for an effective, united Labour Party.&quot; 
 
Leadership challengers needed to get the nominations of 20 per cent of the party&#39;s MPs and MEPs. 
 
The party&#39;s governing National Executive Committee decided that Corbyn would automatically go onto the ballot: the Labour rule book did not say whether the leader also needed nominations -- something Corbyn would struggle to get. 
 
Smith received 88 nominations -- way more than the 51 needed. His backers included former party leader Ed Miliband and former foreign minister Margaret Beckett. 
 
It is understood Eagle withdrew to prevent the publication of the names on her list in the hope of avoiding creating rival camps among anti-Corbyn MPs. 
 
The nominations-gathering process officially closes at 1600 GMT on Wednesday, triggering the formal contest.Labour had been out of power since 1979 until prime minister Tony Blair led them to three straight general election victories from 1997, on a centrist platform. 
 
They have been out of office since 2010. 
 
&quot;We do need a new generation of Labour men and women to take this party forward and get us ready for government once more. We&#39;ve been on the sidelines for too long,&quot; Smith said. 
 
He said Eagle would be his &quot;right hand woman&quot;, adding: &quot;I absolutely cannot do without her.&quot; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s time to move on from Jeremy.&quot; 
 
&quot;The country has to look at us and say, &#39;we can imagine these people running our country, and doing it better than the Conservatives&#39;.&quot; 
 
Corbyn was elected in September with 60 per cent backing from Labour members, trade unionists and registered supporters. 
 
A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper put Corbyn on 56 per cent support, with 34 per cent for Smith in a straight, two-way battle. 
 
The leadership contest has been marred by incidents of violence and intimidation. A brick was hurled through Eagle&#39;s office window. 
 
The incident followed repeated complaints by Labour MPs -- particularly women -- that they have been subjected to threats and abuse from Corbyn&#39;s grassroots supporters if they speak out against the party leader. 
 
(AFP)

Smith will now go forward alone to fight socialist stalwart Corbyn in a ballot of party members, trade unionists, and registered supporters

Challenger Angela Eagle withdrew from the contest to lead Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Tuesday and backed rival Owen Smith in a unity bid to oust embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn. "I'm withdrawing from this race and supporting Owen," Eagle told journalists in parliament after Smith secured more nominations from the party's members of the British and European parliaments. Smith will now go forward alone to fight socialist stalwart Corbyn in a ballot of party members, trade unionists and registered supporters which ends on September 24. Labour is in deep crisis with Corbyn wildly popular among the party's grassroots, but deeply at odds with an overwhelming majority of his MPs. They believe he is an incapable leader driving the party towards another crushing general election defeat in 2020 with an uncompromisingly leftist platform that cannot win over swing voters who backed the Conservatives at the 2015 election. Eagle was the first to announce a challenge in the aftermath of Britain's June 23 referendum vote to leave the European Union. Labour's policy was for Britain to stay in the EU but Corbyn, who has a long history of euro scepticism, was accused of leading a half-hearted campaign that failed to stir traditional Labour-voting areas. Corbyn lost the support of three-quarters of the party's MPs in a subsequent vote of confidence on June 28 but refused to step down, triggering Eagle, and then Smith, to come forward. "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 members of parliament and isn't reaching out to the country," Eagle said. "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." "We are going to be in lock-step together arguing for an effective, united Labour Party." Leadership challengers needed to get the nominations of 20 per cent of the party's MPs and MEPs. The party's governing National Executive Committee decided that Corbyn would automatically go onto the ballot: the Labour rule book did not say whether the leader also needed nominations -- something Corbyn would struggle to get. Smith received 88 nominations -- way more than the 51 needed. His backers included former party leader Ed Miliband and former foreign minister Margaret Beckett. It is understood Eagle withdrew to prevent the publication of the names on her list in the hope of avoiding creating rival camps among anti-Corbyn MPs. The nominations-gathering process officially closes at 1600 GMT on Wednesday, triggering the formal contest.Labour had been out of power since 1979 until prime minister Tony Blair led them to three straight general election victories from 1997, on a centrist platform. They have been out of office since 2010. "We do need a new generation of Labour men and women to take this party forward and get us ready for government once more. We've been on the sidelines for too long," Smith said. He said Eagle would be his "right hand woman", adding: "I absolutely cannot do without her." "It's time to move on from Jeremy." "The country has to look at us and say, 'we can imagine these people running our country, and doing it better than the Conservatives'." Corbyn was elected in September with 60 per cent backing from Labour members, trade unionists and registered supporters. A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper put Corbyn on 56 per cent support, with 34 per cent for Smith in a straight, two-way battle. The leadership contest has been marred by incidents of violence and intimidation. A brick was hurled through Eagle's office window. The incident followed repeated complaints by Labour MPs -- particularly women -- that they have been subjected to threats and abuse from Corbyn's grassroots supporters if they speak out against the party leader. (AFP)

Angela Eagle drops out of UK Labour leader race

Former BBC producer Owen Smith will be the sole challenger against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn to lead Britain`s opposition Labour Party after registrations for the race closed on Wednesday. 
 
The Welsh MP has portrayed him as a leftist candidate and has praised Corbyn but has faced criticism for his past as a lobbyist for the pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and his support for the Iraq war. 
 
Another challenger, Angela Eagle, dropped out of the race on Tuesday when it was clear she was short of endorsements from Labour lawmakers to continue. 
 
Corbyn and Smith will now appeal to party members and supporters for their votes and the result will be announced on September 24 at the party conference. 
 
Smith is barely known outside of Westminster and Wales but moderates in the Labour party are hoping he will dethrone the current Labour leader, who has been heavily criticised for lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in the European Union. 
 
In a statement on his Facebook page, former Labour leader Ed Miliband urged party members to support Smith. 
 
&quot;I believe Owen can build a Labour Party and a country of which we can be proud. But he can`t do it without your help.... It could be the most important political decision you ever make,&quot; Miliband said. 
 
Smith served as Welsh spokesman under Miliband and was made work and pensions spokesman under Corbyn. 
 
The Welsh MP has paid tribute to Corbyn for &quot;helping Labour discover its radical roots&quot; but said the party needed a new generation to take it forward. 
 
Smith also announced he would offer Corbyn the role of party president if he wins. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Angela Eagle drops out of race for the top post in UK's Labour party, falls short of endorsements from Labour lawmakers

Former BBC producer Owen Smith will be the sole challenger against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn to lead Britain`s opposition Labour Party after registrations for the race closed on Wednesday. The Welsh MP has portrayed him as a leftist candidate and has praised Corbyn but has faced criticism for his past as a lobbyist for the pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and his support for the Iraq war. Another challenger, Angela Eagle, dropped out of the race on Tuesday when it was clear she was short of endorsements from Labour lawmakers to continue. Corbyn and Smith will now appeal to party members and supporters for their votes and the result will be announced on September 24 at the party conference. Smith is barely known outside of Westminster and Wales but moderates in the Labour party are hoping he will dethrone the current Labour leader, who has been heavily criticised for lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in the European Union. In a statement on his Facebook page, former Labour leader Ed Miliband urged party members to support Smith. "I believe Owen can build a Labour Party and a country of which we can be proud. But he can`t do it without your help.... It could be the most important political decision you ever make," Miliband said. Smith served as Welsh spokesman under Miliband and was made work and pensions spokesman under Corbyn. The Welsh MP has paid tribute to Corbyn for "helping Labour discover its radical roots" but said the party needed a new generation to take it forward. Smith also announced he would offer Corbyn the role of party president if he wins. (AFP)

Owen Smith challenges Jeremy Corbyn for UK Labour leadership

A second candidate joined the race today to try to unseat Britain&#39;s opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is battling a party revolt in the wake of the Brexit vote. 
 
&quot;I will stand in this election and I will do the decent thing and fight Jeremy Corbyn on the issues,&quot; Labour lawmaker Owen Smith told the BBC. 
 
He will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in trying to wrest the party leadership from the veteran socialist, who has refused to quit despite a major rebellion by his MPs. 
 
The winner of the contest, which will formally get underway with an announcement of the timetable on Thursday, is expected to be crowned in September. 
 
Smith said he had decided to stand after seeing a &quot;dramatic collapse of faith and confidence in Jeremy&quot; over the last couple of weeks. 
 
Corbyn accused of lacklustre leadership&nbsp; 
 
Many moderate Labour MPs have never reconciled themselves to Corbyn&#39;s election as leader last September, secured thanks to strong support among ordinary party members. 
 
They moved against him in the wake of Britain&#39;s shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union -- an outcome deplored by most of the parliamentary party. 
 
Three-quarters of Labour MPs backed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, accusing him of lacklustre leadership in the campaign which culminated with many longtime Labour voters in underprivileged areas defying the party line and backing Brexit. 
 
Many party grandees also fear he would be unable to win a general election if one were called early, although incoming prime minister Theresa May, who takes over from David Cameron later today, has ruled out an early vote. 
 
Late Tuesday, Corbyn won a first victory over his critics after the party&#39;s executive committee ruled he would automatically be included on the leadership ballot. 
 
The decision means that -- unlike his challengers -- he does not need the required 51 nominations from Labour MPs or members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to stand. 
 
Smith was in his teens when joined Labour party&nbsp; 
 
Smith, a former BBC radio producer seen as more centrist than Corbyn, has only been a member of parliament since 2010, representing the Welsh constituency of Pontypridd. 
 
But the 46-year-old has been a member of the Labour party since he was 16, and was special advisor to Paul Murphy, the Labour government minister in charge of Wales and then Northern Ireland, between 2002 and 2005. 
 
After a stint working as a media advisor to pharmaceutical group Pfizer, he became an MP when Labour moved into opposition, and became its spokesman on Welsh affairs. 
 
He appeared in a list of possible candidates to replace outgoing leader Ed Miliband following Labour&#39;s second successive general election defeat last year. 
 
But he did not step forward then and was named shadow work and pensions minister under Corbyn in September 2015. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Smith will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in bid to wrest party leadership from veteran socialist, who refused to quit despite a major rebel

A second candidate joined the race today to try to unseat Britain's opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is battling a party revolt in the wake of the Brexit vote. "I will stand in this election and I will do the decent thing and fight Jeremy Corbyn on the issues," Labour lawmaker Owen Smith told the BBC. He will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in trying to wrest the party leadership from the veteran socialist, who has refused to quit despite a major rebellion by his MPs. The winner of the contest, which will formally get underway with an announcement of the timetable on Thursday, is expected to be crowned in September. Smith said he had decided to stand after seeing a "dramatic collapse of faith and confidence in Jeremy" over the last couple of weeks. Corbyn accused of lacklustre leadership Many moderate Labour MPs have never reconciled themselves to Corbyn's election as leader last September, secured thanks to strong support among ordinary party members. They moved against him in the wake of Britain's shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union -- an outcome deplored by most of the parliamentary party. Three-quarters of Labour MPs backed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, accusing him of lacklustre leadership in the campaign which culminated with many longtime Labour voters in underprivileged areas defying the party line and backing Brexit. Many party grandees also fear he would be unable to win a general election if one were called early, although incoming prime minister Theresa May, who takes over from David Cameron later today, has ruled out an early vote. Late Tuesday, Corbyn won a first victory over his critics after the party's executive committee ruled he would automatically be included on the leadership ballot. The decision means that -- unlike his challengers -- he does not need the required 51 nominations from Labour MPs or members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to stand. Smith was in his teens when joined Labour party Smith, a former BBC radio producer seen as more centrist than Corbyn, has only been a member of parliament since 2010, representing the Welsh constituency of Pontypridd. But the 46-year-old has been a member of the Labour party since he was 16, and was special advisor to Paul Murphy, the Labour government minister in charge of Wales and then Northern Ireland, between 2002 and 2005. After a stint working as a media advisor to pharmaceutical group Pfizer, he became an MP when Labour moved into opposition, and became its spokesman on Welsh affairs. He appeared in a list of possible candidates to replace outgoing leader Ed Miliband following Labour's second successive general election defeat last year. But he did not step forward then and was named shadow work and pensions minister under Corbyn in September 2015. (AFP)

Power struggle in Labour party heats up, Owen Smith joins race to unseat Corbyn

Britain&#39;s main opposition Labour faces a leadership battle after a challenger to Jeremy Corbyn finally stepped forward on Saturday after a Brexit vote which caused political turmoil. 
 
Senior lawmaker Angela Eagle is to stand against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn, the embattled head of the left-of-centre party, who has faced criticism for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of staying in the EU. 
 
Eagle announced her bid following the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a deep rift in the party over Corbyn`s future which some commentators have suggested could prompt it to split. 
 
&quot;On Monday morning I will announce my candidature for leader of the Labour Party,&quot; she said. 
 
Corbyn, who has lost the support of at least three-quarters of his lawmakers, had &quot;failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty, that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP)&quot;, added Eagle. 
 
The socialist leader, who has strong support from grassroots Labour members, has vowed to fight on, insisting there was &quot;no pressure on me&quot;. 
 
Eagle, 55, was the shadow first secretary of state - implying seniority over other front-bench spokespersons - before she and a host of others quit the so-called shadow cabinet en masse last month. 
 
If she wins the contest, she would be the first openly gay leader of a major political party at Westminster. Labour members of parliament staged a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, in which 17 per cent backed him and 75 per cent voted against him.&nbsp; 
 
While the EU referendum raised fresh doubts, many centrist MPs had long been opposed to his leadership. 
 
Despite this, Corbyn has vowed to battle on as leader, citing a groundswell of support in the party membership. 
 
&quot;He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted,&quot; his spokesman insisted. 
 
Corbyn himself told the Durham Miners` Gala, a key date in the diary of Britain`s labour movement, that there was &quot;no pressure on me, none whatsoever&quot;. 
 
&quot;Real pressure is when you don`t have enough money to feed your kids, when you don`t have a roof over your head,&quot; he said. 
 
In the June 23 referendum, 52 per cent of voters opted for Britain to leave the EU, with many traditional Labour heartlands voting out. 
 
US President Barack Obama said he believed Britain would quit the EU at a NATO summit in Warsaw. 
 
&quot;I think we have to assume that a referendum having been passed with a lot of attention, a lengthy campaign and relatively high participation rates is going to stick,&quot; Obama said when asked if Britain could go back on the vote. 
 
But anger among &quot;Remain&quot; voters lingers. 
 
The British government on Saturday formally rejected a petition signed by more than four million people calling for a second referendum with a minimum 60 per cent threshold and 75 turnout bar. 
 
Around 200 people gathered for a picnic to oppose Brexit held in central London`s Green Park.The trade unions which provide significant funding to Labour have repeatedly urged respect for Corbyn`s authority as leader and the overwhelming grassroots mandate he received last year.&nbsp; 
 
Len McCluskey, leader of Britain`s biggest union Unite, sharply attacked Labour deputy leader Tom Watson for the &quot;sabotage&quot; of talks designed to end the standoff. 
 
&quot;Should there have to be a leadership election, I must warn that any attempts to keep Jeremy Corbyn, elected just 10 months ago with an enormous mandate, off the ballot paper by legal means risks a lasting division in the party,&quot; McCluskey added. 
 
In September, rank outsider Corbyn was elected Labour leader with 59.5 per cent of the vote, made up of Labour Party members, members of affiliated unions and people who paid $3.90 to get a vote. 
 
Labour is likely to face fresh ructions next month over the issue of Britain`s nuclear deterrent. 
 
Parliament will vote on replacing the submarines which carry Britain`s Trident nuclear missiles on July 18, Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Saturday. 
 
Corbyn is opposed to nuclear weapons, though many Labour MPs are likely to support maintaining the deterrent. 
 
(AFP)

If Angela Eagle wins, she would be the first openly gay leader of a major political party at Westminster

Britain's main opposition Labour faces a leadership battle after a challenger to Jeremy Corbyn finally stepped forward on Saturday after a Brexit vote which caused political turmoil. Senior lawmaker Angela Eagle is to stand against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn, the embattled head of the left-of-centre party, who has faced criticism for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of staying in the EU. Eagle announced her bid following the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a deep rift in the party over Corbyn`s future which some commentators have suggested could prompt it to split. "On Monday morning I will announce my candidature for leader of the Labour Party," she said. Corbyn, who has lost the support of at least three-quarters of his lawmakers, had "failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty, that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP)", added Eagle. The socialist leader, who has strong support from grassroots Labour members, has vowed to fight on, insisting there was "no pressure on me". Eagle, 55, was the shadow first secretary of state - implying seniority over other front-bench spokespersons - before she and a host of others quit the so-called shadow cabinet en masse last month. If she wins the contest, she would be the first openly gay leader of a major political party at Westminster. Labour members of parliament staged a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, in which 17 per cent backed him and 75 per cent voted against him. While the EU referendum raised fresh doubts, many centrist MPs had long been opposed to his leadership. Despite this, Corbyn has vowed to battle on as leader, citing a groundswell of support in the party membership. "He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted," his spokesman insisted. Corbyn himself told the Durham Miners` Gala, a key date in the diary of Britain`s labour movement, that there was "no pressure on me, none whatsoever". "Real pressure is when you don`t have enough money to feed your kids, when you don`t have a roof over your head," he said. In the June 23 referendum, 52 per cent of voters opted for Britain to leave the EU, with many traditional Labour heartlands voting out. US President Barack Obama said he believed Britain would quit the EU at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "I think we have to assume that a referendum having been passed with a lot of attention, a lengthy campaign and relatively high participation rates is going to stick," Obama said when asked if Britain could go back on the vote. But anger among "Remain" voters lingers. The British government on Saturday formally rejected a petition signed by more than four million people calling for a second referendum with a minimum 60 per cent threshold and 75 turnout bar. Around 200 people gathered for a picnic to oppose Brexit held in central London`s Green Park.The trade unions which provide significant funding to Labour have repeatedly urged respect for Corbyn`s authority as leader and the overwhelming grassroots mandate he received last year. Len McCluskey, leader of Britain`s biggest union Unite, sharply attacked Labour deputy leader Tom Watson for the "sabotage" of talks designed to end the standoff. "Should there have to be a leadership election, I must warn that any attempts to keep Jeremy Corbyn, elected just 10 months ago with an enormous mandate, off the ballot paper by legal means risks a lasting division in the party," McCluskey added. In September, rank outsider Corbyn was elected Labour leader with 59.5 per cent of the vote, made up of Labour Party members, members of affiliated unions and people who paid $3.90 to get a vote. Labour is likely to face fresh ructions next month over the issue of Britain`s nuclear deterrent. Parliament will vote on replacing the submarines which carry Britain`s Trident nuclear missiles on July 18, Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Saturday. Corbyn is opposed to nuclear weapons, though many Labour MPs are likely to support maintaining the deterrent. (AFP)

Corbyn faces leadership challenge, senior British lawmaker to announce candidature

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Angela Eagle drops out of UK Labour leader race

Owen Smith challenges Jeremy Corbyn for UK Labour leadership

Power struggle in Labour party heats up, Owen Smith joins race to unseat Corbyn

Corbyn faces leadership challenge, senior British lawmaker to announce candidature