Labour leadership hopeful Owen Smith issues plea for party's future

Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith today warned the party risked being “consigned to history” unless it stops lurching towards a “disastrous split”.

The Pontypridd MP called on Labour to “pull back from the brink” and end the bitter divisions tearing it apart.

He spoke out after Jeremy Corbyn angered MPs, who have called on him to stand down, by suggesting that they could be ousted in 2018. He stressed all Labour MPs would have to apply for reselection for their seats after a constituency boundary review expected to be completed in two years’ time.

Speaking in Manchester on his first campaign visit today, Mr Smith was set to say: “The Labour Party is Britain’s greatest force for social justice, but we could be consigned to history if we continue along this path to a disastrous split.

“If we don’t pull ourselves back from the brink, unite and start acting like a team we are at risk of falling apart.”

Mr Corbyn insisted yesterday that he is a Prime Minister in waiting but Labour MPs have voted by 172-40 in a motion of no confidence in him. Many of them believe that he is a decent man but a poor leader.

Mr Smith has also accused Mr Corbyn of “sloganising” and of being good at identifying problems but not solutions.

Promising “radical” new policies, former shadow work and pensions secretary Mr Smith was due to add: “A key part of that vision for Labour’s future must be to show that we not only understand the struggles people face, but have the passion, energy and ideas to give them hope for the future.