The Labour Party has reportedly picked up 20,000 new members since the general election result, tipping the total number back over the half-million mark.
The party will undergo a significant rebuilding process over the coming months as a new leader is elected.
Members will decide who the right person for the job is, although the shortlist of candidates will be decided by the party’s 202 MPs and, potentially, its MEPs.
Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey is favourite to take over, with Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry also potential candidates.
Last night Angela Rayner backed Long Bailey, joining John McDonnell and Richard Burgon among the current Labour heavyweights throwing their weight behind the MP for Salford and Eccles.
Jeremy Corbyn will address the remaining Labour MPs today amid bitter recriminations over party’s catastrophic General Election defeat.
MPs are returning to Westminster with the party in turmoil following its worst election performance since 1935.
Some furious MPs and defeated candidates have angrily pointed the finger of blame at Mr Corbyn, saying his past record and left wing policies were poison on the doorstep.
But allies of the Labour leader have said divisions within the party over Brexit proved impossible to bridge while he was “demonised” by the media.
Mr Corbyn has said he will stand down following a “process of reflection” – with a new leader expected to be in place by the end of March.
However, that is unlikely to lessen the anger when he addresses the Parliamentary Labour Party at Westminster on Tuesday.
In a sign of the bitter divisions opened up with the party, Ms Thornberry was embroiled in an extraordinary war of words with former MP Caroline Flint.
The shadow foreign secretary threatened to take legal action after Ms Flint – who lost her Don Valley seat – accused her of branding Leave voters as “stupid”.
In a weekend TV interview, Ms Flint said Ms Thornberry had told a colleague after the 2016 referendum, “I’m glad my constituents aren’t as stupid as yours”.
Ms Thornberry said: “One of my former colleagues came out and said the most extraordinary lies about me.
“I’ve contacted her and I’ve said to her, ‘Please withdraw, I will give you until the end of the day’ and she hasn’t. So I’ve had to go to solicitors.”
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