Express & Star

Angela Eagle: Jeremy Corbyn turned his back on the party, says Labour leadership hopeful

Angela Eagle says she is primed to become the first woman elected to lead Labour as she slammed Jeremy Corbyn for failing to address the impact of austerity measures on the Black Country and Staffordshire.

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The Labour premiership contender said Mr Corbyn has failed as a leader and 'turned his back' on the party, as she vowed to do everything she can to unite Labour.

Speaking during a visit to the Express & Star's Queen Street offices, Ms Eagle said: "I've been in the Labour party for 40 years. I think if you sliced me down the middle I'd have it written across me like a stick of Blackpool rock.

"I hope the Labour party doesn't split and I think it can be brought together again and refocused onto what it needs to do.

"Jeremy's opened up areas of policy and activity to new thoughts, but I think now it needs somebody to take it further."

She said Mr Corbyn had tried to lead 'by being stuck in his office' and had rarely consulted his shadow cabinet, from which she has been one of more than 60 MPs to resign.

Ms Eagle, who was in the city to address Labour members at an event hosted by Emma Reynolds MP, also accused Mr Corbyn of ignoring areas that had been worst hit by Tory austerity measures.

Describing the Black Country and Staffordshire as 'the cradle of the Industrial Revolution' and 'the centre of our manufacturing expertise', Ms Eagle said: "We've got some profound issues for this area in how we protect our manufacturing industry going forward.

"We have to try and build on what we have got now rather than just see it wither away. As a Labour party we need a strategy to show how we are going to revive areas that have been neglected by the Tories."

"That just hasn't happened under Jeremy."

  • MORE: Wolverhampton MP Rob Marris backs Owen Smith for Labour leadership

Ms Eagle was subjected to death threats and online abuse after she announced her leadership bid last week. A brick was thrown through her office window and she said her staff had dealt with numerous abusive telephone calls.

On Friday a man was arrested after allegedly making threats to kill her.

"I'm not going to be intimidated by that kind of behaviour," she said. "This is not an acceptable way to behave in our democracy. I think we have to create a tolerant and safe space for people to have ideas.

"I won't be stopped or cowed. I've seen it before in the 1980s and we got through it. We will get through it again."

Ms Eagle was in Wolverhampton to address Labour members with city MP Emma Reynolds

A long-time trade unionist who was brought up in a working class family in Yorkshire, Ms Eagle said she was not impressed with Theresa May's maiden speech as Prime Minister, during which she pledged to govern for working class families.

"She's made a pitch for the centre ground, but actually she voted to introduce the Bedroom Tax, she voted for all of those austerity cuts budgets," Ms Eagle said.

"She has stood by while people's statutory tax credits have been taken off them. She's easy to hold to account, but we have to have a functioning party to do it, which is why I'm doing this."

Ms Eagle said she was inspired to enter politics in the 1970s by long serving Labour MP Barbara Castle, who she says 'cut a swathe of glamour' through Parliament.

Jeremy Corbyn has spent too much time 'stuck in his office', according to Ms Eagle

But she admits that she is disappointed that Labour has yet to elect a female leader.

"We ought to be having in the 21st century our first directly elected woman leader," she said.

"The party has always championed equality, but it's important that we put our money where our mouth is," adding that she felt she would be 'an effective leader'.

Staking her claim for leadership, she said: "I've spent 24 years in Parliament. I've got a proven track record on the backbenches of taking the battle to the Tories.

"I grew up in a working class family, my mom was a seamstress, my dad was a printer, and I was the first in the family ever to go to university.

"I want those kind of chances for other people, and that's what Labour do, but to do that we need to be effective. That's why I'm standing."

Ms Eagle, who is due to take part in a hustings tonight with her leadership opponents Owen Smith and Mr Corbyn, praised deputy leader Tom Watson, who she said had done 'his absolute best' to keep the party together.

"He has tried to persuade Jeremy that he shouldn't be continuing," she said of the West Bromwich East MP.

"We all wanted to give him the time to do that, but unfortunately that process has failed."

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