Corbyn refusing to stand down despite 80% of Labour MPs voting for a motion of no confidence in his leadership
Labour leader has blasted “internal manoeuvring" within his party and remains defiant
LABOUR MPs delivered a humiliating no-confidence vote in Jeremy Corbyn this afternoon to leave his authority hanging by a thread.
They voted by 172 to 40 against his leadership in an astonishing rebellion.
It means more than 80 per cent of Labour MPs say they have no confidence in their leader, with a turnout of 95 per cent.
And the Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is seemingly also hinting he should go, saying if she didn't have the support of her MSPs she couldn't do her job.
Sky News is reporting that one of the MPs who decided not to vote in the ballot was a member of his shadow cabinet, Rachel Maskell.
He promoted her to shadow environment secretary yesterday but it is reported she did not vote in support of him today.
But he is defiantly clinging on - and insisting anyone who wants him to go launches a full blown leadership challenge against him.
In a defiant statement he said: "In the aftermath of last week’s referendum, our country faces major challenges.
"Risks to the economy and living standards are growing. The public is divided.
“The Government is in disarray. Ministers have made it clear they have no exit plan, but are determined to make working people pay with a new round of cuts and tax rises.
“Labour has the responsibility to give a lead where the Government will not.
RELATED STORIES
He added: "We need to bring people together, hold the Government to account, oppose austerity and set out a path to exit that will protect jobs and incomes.
“To do that we need to stand together. Since I was elected leader of our party nine months ago, we have repeatedly defeated the Government over its attacks on living standards.
“Last month, Labour become the largest party in the local elections.
"In Thursday’s referendum, a narrow majority voted to leave, but two thirds of Labour supporters backed our call for a remain vote.
“I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60% of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning.
"Today’s vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy.
“We are a democratic party, with a clear constitution.
“Our people need Labour party members, trade unionists and MPs to unite behind my leadership at a critical time for our country.”
He says anyone who wants to challenge him will have to beat him in a leadership election.
That could come as soon as tomorrow amid growing fury at the bearded socialist's leadership.
More than 50 frontbenchers have resigned from their posts and called on the Labour leader to step aside in a backlash against his “half-hearted” pro-EU campaign.
This morning shadow ministers Andy Slaughter, Barbara Keeley, Andrew Gwynne and Alan Whitehead joined the mass walkout.
And following the ballot result there have been six more frontbench resignations - Lynn Brown, Sarah Champion, Kevin Brennan and Clive Efford along with parliamentary private secretaries Paul Bloomfield and Mary Glindon.
Key figures Angela Eagle and deputy leader Tom Watson - both possible challengers for the leadership were meeting this evening to plot the way forward.
More than half of Corbyn's shadow cabinet have stepped down since Sunday in a coordinated series of resignations against the 67-year-old, who only became leader in September.
He has blasted “internal manoeuvring" within his party and was defiant yesterday at a rally organised by the grassroots Momentum movement, largely made up of the far-left campaigners who helped get him elected.
Corbyn told the crowds outside Parliament: "Don't let the media divide us.
“Don't let the people who wish us ill divide us.
“Stay together, strong and united for the kind of world we want to live in."
MPs are desperate to oust Mr Corbyn in case a snap general election is called.
They fear he is leading them to electoral disaster after millions of Labour voters ignored the party’s pro-EU position and backed Brexit.
How would a Labour leadership contest work?
The secret ballot carries no formal weight but the significant support for the motion has undoubtedly damaged Corbyn’s leadership and shown any potential challengers they are likely to have the requisite support from their colleagues to trigger a contest.
Any Labour MP wanting to challenge Corbyn would require the support of at least 20% of their parliamentary colleagues – at current levels, with 229 MPs, that equates to about 50 signatures.
Those MPs would have to signal their support for a challenger by writing to the party’s general secretary.
Should the 20% figure be reached, a formal contest would then take place at the Labour Party’s autumn conference at the end of September.
Any other MPs wanting to stand for the leadership would also need to reach the 20% figure in order to get on the ballot.
However, it is currently unclear whether Corbyn would automatically be on the ballot – but there is speculation that the Party’s National Executive Committee could move to make that happen.
Once a line-up of candidates is finalised, the election would then take place on a one-member-one-vote basis with members, affiliates and registered supporters taking part.
If there were more than two candidates, voters would rank their choices and the winner would be the first to secure more than 50% of the vote.
If nobody did so in the first round of counting, the last-placed candidate would have their votes reallocated and so on until a winner emerges.
When Corbyn was elected leader he secured 59.5% of the vote in the first round after a surge in support from newly registered activists. He topped the ballot among party members, trade unionists and new supporters. That means any challenger would face an uphill battle to dethrone the current Labour leader – if he is on the ballot. Labour Party membership reportedly rose from about 200,000 in May 2015 to almost 400,000 in January of 2016 with much of that surge attributed to Corbyn.