Eagle set to launch leadership challenge as Owen Smith considers a tilt at the top job

Angela Eagle is expected to break three days of silence this afternoon and launch her bid to be Labour leader – but she faces the prospect of a rival challenge from Owen Smith.

Eagle, who stepped down as shadow Business Secretary with a tearful interview on Monday, is expected to make a statement in Westminster later today.

After 24 hours of speculation over whether Tom Watson would challenge Corbyn, it was confirmed Eagle is still in the running, contrary to earlier rumours. Watson, the deputy leader, has ruled himself out.

Last night a senior backbencher confirmed Eagle remains interested in standing if Corbyn proves “implacable” to attempts to persuade him to stand down. She is thought to face no difficulty in obtaining the 51 signatures from MPs and MEPs necessary for a challenge.

Eagle has declined to comment since Monday when she resigned her shadow Cabinet position and said she had “served in the best way I can”.

Separately it was suggested that Smith had obtained support from 51 Labour MPs and MEPs. Smith also quit on Monday, leaving his role as shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, when he and Lisa Nandy issued a join statement saying Corbyn was he is “unable to form a broad, inclusive Shadow Cabinet that draws on the best of our movement’s left and right traditions”.

More follows shortly…