Leeds MP Hilary Benn: 'I intend to die in the Labour Party'

The Leeds Central MP gave his backing to Angela Eagle’s leadership challenge as Owen Smith formally launched his campaign today.

The prospect of Labour members re-electing Mr Corbyn when the vast majority of its MPs have called for change has led to growing talk of a split.

But Mr Benn, whose sacking from his shadow foreign secretary post by Mr Corbyn last month marked the start of a revolt against his leadership, insisted a Labour split was not on the cards.

He said: “Let’s be very clear about this, there’s been some idle talk in some newspapers.

“I’ve been a member of the Labour Party for 45 years, I intend to die in the Labour Party but not for many years yet and we are passionate about the values and beliefs of our party and we are staying.

“We are not going anywhere and in the end eventually this problem will be sorted out.”

Labour’s general secretary last week suspended routine constituency and branch meetings until after the leadership election amid reports of intimidation and threatening behaviour.

Mr Benn told Sky News: “The Labour Party is in a pretty unhappy state.

“It’s really very difficult and it’s distressing because for all of us who have devoted our lives to the Labour Party and been members a long time the sort of abuse that is being directed at ordinary Labour Party members, whatever the idea was behind a kinder gentler politics it is not what we have seen.

“I’m sorry some of those, and it is a minority, but some of those who are supporting Jeremy seem to think it is acceptable to abuse parliamentary colleagues, particularly women members of the PLP and others if you don’t support Jeremy you get all sorts of abuses.

“We cannot be a party like that but not only do we have to call it out we need a new leaders so we can heal what is clearly a very divided party at the moment.”