Eagle to launch leadership bid today

Angela Eagle will launch her leadership bid at 12pm today, claiming she is the only candidate that can bring Labour back to government.

The former shadow business secretary is expected to focus on competence and leadership in her campaign, positioning herself as the candidate who could win a general election.

Eagle declared her intention to run for leader over the weekend, saying she was the candidate who could “heal the party”. She is expected to be accompanied at the official launch by Hilary Benn, previously shadow foreign secretary.

Benn was sacked after a late night call in which he confirmed to Corbyn his opposition to him continuing as leader, triggering the mass resignations from Labour’s frontbench two weeks ago.

“The Labour Party needs to be saved,” Eagle told the Daily Mirror

“I’m stepping up to the plate to say it’s about time we did this so we can make the Labour Party relevant again and so we can contend for government.”

“I want to ensure our country can be healed after the terrible shock that Brexit is going to inflict on it.”

Eagle’s leadership bid has attracted resistance from pro-Corbyn MPs, with Diane Abbott labelling her the “Empire Strikes Back candidate” – a reference to a belief that an enemy is gaining ground – on the Today programme this morning.

“I think she’s the Empire Strikes Back candidate – she voted for Iraq, she voted for tuition fees. And someone who came fourth out of five to be deputy, it’s not clear to me that she can win the leadership.”

Eagle was rumoured to be considering standing for two weeks before confirming her challenge yesterday. She previously said Corbyn should resign of his own accord in order to break the “impasse” between the two wings of the party.