Corbyn pressure mounts as Watson calls for change after raft of resignations

The turmoil engulfing the Labour Party swept into a third day as deputy leader Tom Watson joined many senior party members in calling for Jeremy Corbyn to stand down as leader of the opposition, according to a report.

Corbyn held emergency talks with Watson on Monday, before he faces a vote of no confidence against him from the party's MPs this week.

Tom Watson, who was elected separately from Corbyn last summer, was reported to have pleaded with Corbyn to quit after he lost the confidence of the Parliamentary Labour Party, according to a report in the Financial Times, following a dozen shadow cabinet resignations over the weekend.

A letter calling for Corbyn's resignation is expected to get the backing of more than half of Westminster’s 232 MPs.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn was sacked by Corbyn on Saturday after voicing discontent about the leader's commitment to the Remain campaign in the EU referendum, in which Britain voted 52-48 to leave the bloc.

Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, was the first to walk out, followed by Gloria De Piero, who has represented young people and toured the country talking to Labour voters and members.

Many within Labour are deeply unhappy with how Corbyn managed the party's efforts during the referendum campaign

Those that followed included Lord Falconer, the shadow justice secretary, Seema Malhotra, the shadow chief secretary and Chris Bryant, the shadow leader of the Commons. In his resignation letter, Bryant told Corbyn: “If you refuse to step aside I fear you will go down in history as the man who broke the Labour party.”

In a passionate message released on Corbyn's Facebook account on Sunday, he appealed for support from within his party and declared that he would not step down, promising to be a candidate in any further leadership vote by Labour members.

"I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me - or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them," Corbyn wrote.

"Those who want to change Labour's leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate."

Many within Labour are deeply unhappy with how Corbyn managed the party's efforts during the referendum campaign, with some even claiming that he attempted to "weaken and sabotage" the Remain vote.