Decades of Tory rule on the cards unless Jeremy Corbyn stands down, says former party leader Lord Neil Kinnock
'Moderate' MPs are being mocked by unions for chickening out of launching a leadership contest
JEREMY Corbyn will keep the Tories in power for “decades” unless he quits – furious leftie Lord Kinnock stormed today.
The former Labour leader said the party’s current chief had no “common sense” grounds whatsoever to remain in charge.
And he warned the so-called Corbynistas backing him that they had to decide whether they were content to back a “social protest movement” or take a full role in helping Labour seize back control of Downing Street.
The peer said: “There are people who need Labour but do not vote for Labour simply because Jeremy is considered to be a leader lacking in credibility.
“The purpose of being engaged in politics is to secure democratic power.
“And Jeremy can’t do that.”
The blast came as Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he would stand against any MP that launches a leadership contest – and called for peace talks with his rivals.
But separately, Corbyn-backing trade union baron Len McCluskey mocked ‘moderate’ MPs for chickening out of launching a leadership contest after the constant threats last week that one was coming.
Amid rumours Labour veteran Angela Eagle was having second thoughts about leading a coup, Red Len said: “Here’s the truth, it’s failed. The coup has failed.
“Jeremy Corbyn is made of stronger stuff.
"He’s a man of steel and he’s made it clear that he will not step down.”
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The Labour leader was hit by a wave of Shadow Cabinet resignations last week and lost a thumping vote of no confidence by MPs 172 to 40.
Furious MPs claimed that neither Deputy Leader Tom Watson nor Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham was allowed to meet him in a bid to convince him to see sense and resign.
Today Mr Corbyn offered to give MPs a greater influence over policy making and a say in Shadow Cabinet positions in a desperate bid to prop up his leadership.
But one source summed up the disarray by claimed the party was now “essentially being run by Seumas Milne (Jeremy Corbyn’s chief spokesman).
Jeremy Corbyn allies claim that he will win any leadership contest because of the huge numbers who signed up as members last summer to elect him first time round.
But Lord Kinnock said that under the “constitution, the rules, the democratic provisions of the Labour Party and the commonsense provisions of the Labour Party there’s no basis on which Jeremy really could or should stay”.
He added members had to decide “whether they are serious about putting their principles into power by democratic election under a leader that is credible in party that is united”.
The other choice, the peer said, was remaining “in a social protest movement that is content to complain and turn up at the funerals of communities and industries while the Conservatives have yet more decades of power.”
Ex Shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant warned that if Jeremy Corbyn did win another leadership contest it would “break the back of the Labour Party”.