One of the Labour MPs tipped as a possible challenger to Jeremy Corbyn has backed away from confrontation with the party leader, issuing an appeal to colleagues to heal the rifts which have opened up.
Owen Smith was among a raft of senior MPs who quit Mr Corbyn’s shadow cabinet amid anger over his handling of the EU referendum last month, and was thought to be considering a bid for the leadership.
But he released a statement calling on the party to give peace talks currently taking place between the leader’s office, deputy leader Tom Watson and the unions “every chance to succeed”.
The former shadow work and pensions secretary urged all members of the Labour movement to do what they could to avoid a “disastrous” split in the party.
Mr Smith’s intervention appears to make a formal challenge to Mr Corbyn’s position less likely, amid expectations that the veteran left-winger would win any ballot of the party’s activists and supporters in the country.
The Pontypridd MP said: “Over the last week, I have been contacted by hundreds of Labour members and MPs deeply worried that the Labour Party is truly in danger of splitting apart. I share those fears and call on everyone in our movement to do all we can to avert such a disastrous outcome.
“I stand ready to do anything I can to save and serve the party. Yesterday, I spoke directly with Len McCluskey of Unite and met with our leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to explore what I can do to try and heal the rifts that have opened up in our movement.
“On behalf of the trades unions, Len has reassured me that the talks he has opened up between Jeremy and Tom Watson have been productive and has asked that they are given more time this weekend to see what further progress can be made towards a resolution.
“Jeremy has also reassured me that he is engaging in talks with an open mind. I believe that all of us whose priority is to restore unity in the Labour movement and give us a chance to defeat our only true enemy, the Tories, should give these talks every chance to succeed. That is what I intend to do and I urge all my colleagues to do likewise.”
Mr Corbyn has resisted calls to step down as leader after MPs voted by 172-40 that they had no confidence in him. After the mass resignation of the bulk of Mr Corbyn’s frontbench team, Mr Smith and former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle were understood to be considering a formal challenge to his position.
