Angela Eagle to announce bid for Labour leadership on Monday
Out MP Angela Eagle has said she will announce her bid for the Labour leadership on Monday.
The former shadow business secretary accused Jeremy Corbyn of failing āto lead an organised and effectiveā Labour party.
Mr Corbyn has said he will fight for the leadership.
Ms Eagle, a left-winger who was instrumental to Corbynās leadership until last week, had allegedly agreed a deal with Labour deputy leader Tom Watson following Mr Corbynās crushing defeat among MPs this afternoon.
If victorious, she would be the UK Labour Partyās first openly gay leader ā though Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale came out last year.
Just last month, Ms Eagle told PinkNews that she would happily stand as leader of the party.
She hinted to PinkNews at the time: āI have to step very carefully here because we have a leader alreadyā¦ But, I enjoyed doing PMQs, letās put it that way. I donāt think I did too badly.ā
As she joined the majority of her colleagues in resigning from the shadow cabinet this week, she told the Mr Corbyn that the party needed a leader āwho can unite, not divideā.
Rumours of Ms Eagle replacing Mr Corbyn first circulated in April, after frontbenchers and donors said that they see her as a viable replacement for Mr Corbyn, claiming she could unite the party in the event of a Labour civil war
The MP for Wallasey has enjoyed strong performances in the House of Commons since her appointment to the Shadow Cabinet last year, boosting the morale of Labour MPs.
Ms Eagle also performed well when she became the first LGBT MP to front Prime Ministerās Questions for her party.
The leaderās office had insisted the non-binding vote would have no impact on his leadership as he has a mandate from Labour members, but rebels have intensified calls for him to resign.
The shake up comes amid accusations that Mr Corbynās attempts to persuade his supporters to āRemainā in the European Union was ālacklustreā.
At time of publication, more than 50 MPs have resigned from the front bench ā including 20 of Mr Corbynās 31 shadow cabinet members, and many of the partyās most prominent figures.
