Angela Eagle’s constituency branch issues statement supporting Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader

Angela Eagle’s local Labour party has issued a statement declaring their support for Jeremy Corbyn amid a crisis at the top of the party over its leadership.

The Wallasey constituency Labour party announced on Wednesday they had passed “a motion of support for Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party”, “with an overwhelming majority” following a meeting on Tuesday night.

A post on the branch’s website reads: “Last night at our branch meeting Wallasey BRANCH Labour Party passed, with an overwhelming majority, a motion of support for Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party.

“As such we wish to send our message of support to our Leader Jeremy Corbyn at this time as we work together on the larger issues affecting our society.”

The announcement comes amid a so-called attempted coup by Labour MPs to oust the party leader, with mass resignations from the shadow cabinet and existing members calling on Mr Corbyn to resign.

Yet despite a no-confidence vote in which MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) opposed their leader by a margin of 172-40, the veteran left winger has refused to step down.

Ms Eagle, former shadow business secretary, and ex-shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith are both considering a challenge to Mr Corbyn if he continues to resist calls to go.

Ms Eagle is seen as the candidate most likely to challenge Mr Corbyn in a leadership election. She is trusted by her fellow Labour MPs but it is less certain she would be able to persuade ordinary party members to vote for her and against Mr Corbyn.

But both Ms Eagle and Mr Smith are understood to have agreed to hold back while there was still a chance of a negotiated settlement which would see Mr Corbyn walk away.

Last week, the Huffington Post revealed that the chair and secretary of Wallasey’s Labour party had written to Ms Eagle expressing their support for the Labour leader.

In an emailed letter to Ms Eagle, Kathy Miller and Kathy Runswick reportedly wrote: “At the CLP AGM on Friday 24th June 2016, delegates asked me to write to you to ask you to reject the motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn. The meeting was overwhelmingly behind Jeremy continuing as Labour leader.

“The idea that the Labour Party would rather miss the chance to capitalise on the splits in the Tory party by in fighting was not acceptable to members. On behalf of the constituency I would ask you to make a clear public statement of support for him.”

The Vice President of the Wallasey’s Labour branch is also understood to have told BBC North West Tonight that Ms Eagle should accept the democracy of the party and support Mr Corbyn.

The Labour Party has gained 100,000 new members since the EU referendum, suggesting attempts by grassroots supporters to keep Mr Corbyn as leader against the wishes of the vast majority of his MPs.

It is suspected that many of the 100,000 new members have joined Labour since 23 June with the express intention of defying Labour MPs and voting for Mr Corbyn in any leadership election.

Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has been holding face-to-face talks with Len McCluskey, leader of Britain’s biggest trade union Unite, to find a compromise that would resolve the crisis.

The unions are thought to be insisting that Mr Corbyn remains leader while Mr Watson has told them the parliamentary party’s red line is that Mr Corbyn must go.

The Independent has contacted Ms Eagle for comment over Wallasey constituency Labour party's statement.

Additional reporting by agencies