18 Jul 2016

Labour leadership challenge: Angela Eagle or Owen Smith?

It looks like we will be down to one challenger to Jeremy Corbyn very soon indeed. The two rival candidates have decided that the one with fewer nominations will stand aside.

The expectation is that it will be Angela Eagle standing aside for Owen Smith, something she will not have done happily. Many Labour MPs believe she did the courageous ground work that cleared the way for Owen Smith. Many more feel that it is long since time Labour had a woman elected leader and this looked like a perfect opportunity.

There is some optimism amongst Jeremy Corbyn’s critics that this attempt will work. You find some still nervous that they will be knocked back by the forces that back Mr Corbyn.

Mr Corbyn’s supporters insist they will fight hard and win. Everything depends on the degree to which past supporters of Mr Corbyn have lost faith.

Owen Smith, if as expected he has the bigger numbers, must now establish a political personality that is difficult to do in a front bench brief but which even his best pal would have to admit has not been a job completed.

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