Labour MP: We stand a better chance without Corbyn as leader

JEREMY Corbyn suffered further setbacks last night as a Labour MP admitted that the party stood a better chance of power with a different l eader, while one of his closest allies made an embarrassing gaffe over the price of milk.

Neil Coyle told a rally that the party’s position in the polls was ‘devastating’ and the gap would be closer with someone else in charge.

Challenged over his attacks on Mr Corbyn, he replied: ‘I said I did want a different leader – I make no secret of that. I think we would be in a better position.

‘We go into this election up to 20 points behind in the polls. That is devastating for Labour, devastating for the people who desperately need a Labour government.

‘ I wanted a leader who could try to change that but we are where we are.’

Mr Coyle, who faces a fight to defend his 4,489 majority in Bermondsey and Old Southwark from the man he defeated in 2015 – senior Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes – was one of 36 MPs who nominated hard-Left Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership contest, but later said he regretted it.

His comments came after John Woodcock, Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, urged Mr Corbyn to stand down rather than lead Labour to defeat.

The party’s divisions over Brexit were also highlighted at the same rally in the capital last week, with a senior Remain supporter pointing out she would be forced to canvass for a Leave campaigner.

Harriet Harman said: ‘ We need to support every single one of our Labour MPs – God help me, I will even go and support Kate Hoey. You know we’re in a fight here and we know whose side we’re on.’

Meanwhile, a key Corbyn supporter faced ridicule last night for wrongly claiming that VAT is levied on pints of milk. Emily Thornberry, notorious for mocking voters who hung St George’s flags from their windows, made the gaffe as she tried to blame the Conservatives for increasing the cost of living for the poor. Appearing on Iain Dale’s LBC radio show yesterday morning, the Shadow Foreign Secretary said: ‘We all have to buy milk. Somebody on £80,000 a year, it’s less of a proportion of their income than it would be for someone on £26,000.’ She added: ‘ If you put VAT up it just means that the price of everything goes up and that affects the poorest hardest.’ But critics were quick to point out on social media that there is no VAT levied on milk, nor on most food a nd dr i nk a part from snacks, sweets and alcoholic drinks. One opponent said on Twitter: ‘ Woman of the people Thornberry has no idea what basic food is VAT or not. Milk isn’t, love, cakes are.’