Lord Kinnock goes on the warpath saying ‘weird’ Corbyn must resign in leaked speech to Labour MPs
Former leader said traditional core voters are turning away from Corbyn
EX Labour leader Lord Kinnock has accused “weird” Jeremy Corbyn of losing the Party votes, in a barnstorming leaked speech to Labour MPs.
In a highly personal attack on the hard-left leader, Lord Kinnock called on Mr Corbyn to step down and urged his supporters to “wake up” to the fact the game was up.
Lord Kinnock, who led Labour from 1983 until 1992, said traditional voters were leaving the Party in their droves because of the “weird” Labour leader’s empty appeals to the poor.
“We know what answer we’re getting on the doorstep,” said Lord Kinnock, who battled the rise of the far left in the party during his time at the helm.
“I go on the doorstep and I talk to people, and I spoke to one in Cardiff three weeks ago. When he complained abour Jeremy, I said ‘his heart’s in the right place, he wants to help people like you’.
“He was a working class guy - a fitter in what remains of the docks. And he said ‘I know why he’s saying it, because he thinks we’re easy. We’re not easy, we’re not listening - especially since he’s weird’.
“That is unfortunate, but everybody in this room knows ... that is what you’re getting from people who yearn to vote Labour but are inhibited by the fact that Jeremy is still our leader.”
In his rousing seven-minute speech he pleaded with the Labour leader to step down, saying he could not operate without “at least substantial” support from Labour MPs.
Mr Corbyn has so far lost an overwhelming vote of no confidence from Labour MPs, been urged to stand down by every living ex Labour leader and faced calls from more than 500 Labour councillors to stand aside.
He has insisted he will not step down amid claims from party sources that tens of thousands of new members have joined up to support the embattled leader.
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Finishing his speech on Monday to rapturous applause and table banging, Lord Kinnock said: “There will be no split, there will be no retreat, damn it, this is our party, I’ve been in it for 60 years, I am not leaving it to anybody.”
Former frontbenchers Angela Eagle and Owen Smith are considering challenging Mr Corbyn if talks to persuade him to resign fail over the weekend.
Some Labour sources are suggesting a contest between the two will have to be held before a challenge is mounted to give the coup the best chance of success.