Corbyn says Labour MPs face reselection as he launches bid to retain leadership

Labour MPs would have to put themselves up for reselection after electoral boundaries are redrawn in 2018, Jeremy Corbyn said as he launched his campaign to remain as party leader.

Corbyn, faces a challenge from former Work & Pensions Secrtary Owen Smith, as the party struggles to hold itself together. In the past 48 hours, 183,000 people have signed up to vote in the ballot.

Despite offering the “hand of friendship” to parliamentary colleagues Corbyn said said there would be a “full and open selection process” to choose the Labour candidate in every seat for the next general election suggesting a purge of the 172 MPs who voted in support of a no confidence motion against him.

The boundary review will cut the number of MPs to 600 from 650.

In his campaign launch Corbyn promised to tackle the “five ills of 21st century Britain”: inequality, neglect, prejudice, insecurity and discrimination.

“In our campaign I want to confront all five of those ills head on, setting out not only how Labour will campaign against these injustices in opposition but also spelling out some of the measures the next Labour government will take to overcome them and move decisively towards a society in which opportunity and prosperity are truly shared,” he said.