MPs submit motion of no confidence in Corbyn

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing a motion of no confidence after the UK voted to leave the European Union on Friday.

Veteran Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey submitted a letter to Labour party chairman John Cryer.

Although the motion has no formal constitutional power, dependent on the chairman, it could be debated at the parliamentary labour party (PLP) meeting on Monday.

The letter’s motion read: “That this PLP has no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Parliamentary Labour party.”

MPs said they were prepared to back the motion by first triggering a show of hands at the PLP meeting, or at the next, and then a secret ballot, the Guardian reported.

The Financial Times said Labour rebels believe they have secured at least 50 MPs to reach the threshold to launch a formal leadership challenge. One told the FT more than half of the PLP said they would support the challenge.

The call for a change in leadership follows David Cameron’s resignation as prime minister on Friday morning after the Remain campaign lost 48% to 52% for Leave.

The Remain campaign defeat is seen as the last-straw for Labour MPs as Corbyn was criticised for his half-hearted approach in campaigning to remain in the EU. Prior to assuming the leadership of the Labour party, Corbyn was a known eurosceptic.

Dame Margaret said: “The European referendum was a test of leadership and I think Jeremy failed that test… came out too slowly. He was very half-hearted about his attempts to campaign and Labour voters simply didn’t get the message.”

Traditional Labour heartlands in the north of England and Wales overwhelmingly voted to leave the EU, with UKIP seen to be encroaching on Labour territory.

MP Caroline Flint told BBC News that there are concerns by MPs in these areas that if a general election is called in the next six months or a year they might lose their seat.

The MP for Don Valley said that Corbyn must “recognise failure”.

“Jeremy’s leadership doesn’t seem to be reaching out to those… we depend on to win an election.”

Corbyn said: “A lot of the message that has come back from this is that many communities are fed up with cuts, they are fed up with economic dislocation and feel very angry at the way they have been betrayed and marginalised by successive governments in very poor areas of the country.

“The point I was making was there were good things that had come from Europe in working conditions and environmental protections but there were other issues that had not been addressed properly.”