‘Plenty’ of Labour options to replace Corbyn, says Labour MP Ian Lavery
JEREMY Corbyn suffered a humiliating blow tonight when Labour’s new election coordinator said the party had “plenty” of candidates to replace him as leader.
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Labour MP Ian Lavery was handed the key post of overseeing poll campaigns in a reshuffle last week.
But within days of taking the job, he spoke publicly of overhauling the leadership.
Ian Lavery spoke publicly of overhauling the Labour leadership
This is not the time for a leadership election
His remarks followed leaked internal polling data setting out the results of research into the popularity of other potential candidates for Mr Corbyn’s job.
And it emerged that Labour chiefs have advised their leader to stay away from a by-election campaign in Stoke-on-Trent because of his unpopularity with working class voters.
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Jeremy Corbyn suffered a humiliating blow
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall is understood to be attracting many former Labour voters in his bid to snatch the seat in the local poll a week on Thursday.
Mr Lavery discussed potential replacements for Mr Corbyn while being spoken to about the leak of polling data.
Paul Nuttall is understood to be attracting many former Labour voters
Research commissioned by party chiefs found that voters regarded Mr Corbyn as being “boring”, “fed up” and looking “like a scruffy school kid”.
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson urged colleagues to stick with Mr Corbyn.
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson urged colleagues to stick with Mr Corbyn
He said: “This is not the time for a leadership election.
“He got a second mandate from our members last year – he is now the established leader of the Labour Party.”