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Roundup:British Labour leader to face single challenger after Angela Eagle quits race

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, is to face just one challenger for his job, after the withdrawal of British MP Angela Eagle on Tuesday.

The decision of Eagle left rival Owen Smith as the sole challenger to take on Corbyn.

Speaking at Westminster, Eagle said she thrown her support behind Smith, clearing the way for him.

"We have a Labour Party at the moment that is not working, we've got a leader that doesn't have the confidence of his Members of Parliament and isn't reaching out to the country," she said.

"We need to have a strong and united Labour Party so we can be a good opposition, take the fight to the Conservative government and heal our country," the MP added.

Eagle said she was dropping out "in the interests of the party" and would back Smith "with all her might and enthusiasm."

Smith, former shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, will now go forward to compete with Corbyn in a ballot of party members and supporters which ends on Sept. 24.

Smith has obtained nominations from 88 Labour MPs and two MPs to become a leadership candidate, easily clearing the 51 hurdle to get his name onto the ballot paper. Among his nominators is former party leader Ed Miliband.

Corbyn was not required to secure nominations to take part in the contest, following a ruling by the party's National Executive Committee.

A civil war broke out in the party when 172 Labour MPs at Westminster supported a vote of no confidence in Corbyn, who was elected last year as the leader of the party.

MPs were disappointed with his performance in the referendum campaign, with Labour officially backing the country remaining as part of the EU.

After the no-confidence vote, the party was thrown into turmoil when virtually all of Corbyn's front bench shadow cabinet team, resigned.

MPs were worried that if both Smith and Eagle went forward as challengers, it would divide the vote, and pave the way for Corbyn to continue.

Labour MPs held a secret ballot Monday night to choose which of the two should go forward to take on Corbyn, with Smith gaining more votes.

Last year, Corbyn entered the leadership race as a outsider, but was swept to a massive victory by gaining around 250,000 votes, almost 170,000 votes ahead of his closest rival.

What is yet to be discovered is whether Corbyn's success of last year, with strong support from younger supporters of Labour, will back him a second time in vast numbers. Endit