HUMILIATED Jeremy Corbyn was last night forced to rush forward his exit date as Labour descended into civil war over their election drubbing.
A Labour MP today insisted the party will overthrow Jeremy Corbyn and elect a new leader next week if he doesn’t stand down immediately.
10
The petulant leader announced he’ll step down after leading the party to its most humiliating election defeat since 1935 – but refused to say when.
MPs and former ministers have been lining up to demand the hard-left leader’s resignation after Boris Johnson’s epic victory.
Labour big beasts tore into his woeful leadership and even his close ally, union baron Len McCluskey, stuck the boot in yesterday.
Corbyn has now said he will resign as Labour boss before the next election after failing to win a second poll in a row.
Deluded Mr Corbyn said he was proud of his campaign and refused to apologise for taking the party to their worst defeat since 1935 – instead accusing the media of “disgusting” attacks – and failed to put a timeline on his exit.
Now, a Labour MP has reportedly said the result could spell the end for the party and claimed a coup is on the cards.
They told Sky News: “If this keeps up we’ll be looking at the death of the Labour Party.”
The unnamed politician added: “Corbyn has to go now” and revealed if he doesn’t, the Parliamentary Labour Party would force him out and install a new leader next week.
An Opinium poll of 5,641 adults found 43 per cent said Mr Corbyn’s leadership was the reason they did not vote Labour.
‘CORBYN HAS TO GO NOW’
It dwarfed the 17 per cent who blamed Labour’s muddled Brexit stance, and the 12 per cent who blamed its economic policies.
But defiant Corbyn claimed his hard-left, Marxist manifesto was “extremely popular” – despite the Tories securing a thumping election win.
He said: “The pressure on those surrounding politicians is often very very high indeed. The media intrusion on people’s lives is very high indeed.
“And the attacks that take place against family and loved ones of politicians continue and they are disgraceful and frankly they are disgusting.”
Sir Keir Starmer is now the favourite to take over as Labour boss – but Jess Phillips threw her hat in and Emily Thornberry gave a speech hinting she’ll go for it too. David Lammy also broke cover to suggest he will throw his hat into the ring to succeed Mr Corbyn.
Tottenham MP Lammy said: “Of course I’m thinking about it, because people like me that have been in the party for 20 years have now got to do a lot of heavy lifting to get us into the right place.”
Ruth Smeeth declared that she lost her because Labour is now “the racist party” and blamed Corbyn, adding they should have ditched him months ago.
Her furious tirade came as she announced she had “definitely lost” her seat on a crushing general election night for Labour.
Smeeth’s Stoke-on-Trent South constituency was one of Labour’s “Red Wall” seats that fell to the Conservatives to re-draw the political map of England.
She blasted: “Jeremy Corbyn’s actions on antisemitism have made us the nasty party. We are the racist party.
“He should have gone many many, many months ago. I am, well I was, the Parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement.
“We passed a motion of no confidence in him in April.
“There is absolutely no justification for why he is still there and his personal actions have delivered this result for my constituents and for swathes of the country overnight.”
Smeeth lost her seat to the Conservatives, the first time in history they’ve held the Stoke-on-Trent seat.
10
10
And Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, although retaining his seat, also last night brutalised Corbyn – amid claims the party’s “safest seat in Scotland” was under threat.
Murray – now Scotland’s only Labour MP – said: “Every door I knocked on, and my team and I spoke to 11,000 people, mentioned Corbyn.
“Not Brexit but Corbyn. I’ve been saying this for years.
“The outcome is that we’ve let the country down and we must change course and fast.”
Former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw jumped on the bandwagon of critics, saying he was relieved Mr Corbyn had lost. He branded him an “apologist” for the IRA and said he “had this worry that the country could be in really dangerous hands” had Labour won.
Labour moderate Wes Streeting said Mr Corbyn and his hard-left pals — who include Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell — must take the blame for the defeat.
He added: “They had the leader they wanted, the NEC they wanted, the manifesto the wanted. The one thing they didn’t have was the support of the British people.”
Corbyn is still in denial about the flaws in his leadership and policies leading to Labour’s crushing defeat.
He said: “I think the issue that dominated this election, ultimately, was Brexit.
CLINGING ON
“Our policies, I’ve named some, there are many others I could name, were actually, all of them, individually, very popular.
“There was no huge debate or disagreement in the party about any of the policies in our manifesto. The issue was, ultimately, the Prime Minister said he’s going to get Brexit sorted.”
Corbyn thanked his sons before thanking his wife “for all that she puts up with because of the way in which the media behaved towards me, towards her and indeed towards my party during this election campaign”.
But clinging on to his Islington seat, Corbyn said it had been a “very disappointing” night as support for his party crumbled in Labour’s former heartlands.
The MP ran as an outside candidate for the party leadership in 2015 and managed to outlast two Tory prime ministers.
But finally conceding defeat as the red wall was left in tatters, he said he will call it a day on his time as leader – although he refused to immediately step down.
He said: “I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign.
“I will discuss with my party to ensure there is a process of reflection on this result and I will lead the party during that period to ensure the discussion takes place and we will move on into the future.”
Upon Corbyn’s loss, the Tories’ Michael Gove sent a moving message to Jewish Brits. He reassured them they would “never have to live in fear again” after Corbyn’s defeat.
He denounced the Labour chief for embracing “anti-Jewish rhetoric” and “anti-Jewish terrorists”.
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
