Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has reportedly been told to resign by his deputy Tom Watson
Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn has reportedly been told to resign by his deputy, Tom Watson.
Corbyn has faced a spate of resignations over the past 48 hours, with 11 of the 31 shadow cabinet members resigning yesterday alone, and the rebellion continuing into today.
Although the Labour leader has announced a new shadow cabinet, junior ministers have continued to hand in their notices.
And now the BBC reports deputy leader Tom Watson has reportedly joined the coup, advising Corbyn of the need to step down.
Read More: Corbyn: Future Labour government would back financial transaction tax
In his first statement on the crisis yesterday, Watson declared himself "deeply disappointed" by the dismissal of shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn early on Sunday morning, but added that he was "equally saddened" by the wave of resignations that followed.
“It’s very clear to me that we are heading for an early general election and the Labour Party must be ready to form a government. There’s much work to do. I will be meeting Jeremy Corbyn tomorrow morning to discuss the way forward," Watson said.
Many of the rebels have cited fears around Labour's effectiveness in opposition, with shadow leader of the house Chris Bryant warning Corbyn that: “If you refuse to resign I fear you will go down in history as the man that broke the Labour party.”
Corbyn faces a motion for a vote of no confidence at the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting this evening. If it passes a secret ballot of MPs will take place tomorrow night.
[custom id="108"]