Jeremy Corbyn says he will 'not intervene' in no confidence votes amid Labour in-fighting
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has told Labour MPs he will "not intervene" in the wave of no confidence votes being held against some of his internal critics.
He said it would be "wrong" for him to get involved "in the democratic rights of any part of the Labour party".
But Mr Corbyn said he was "determined" that Labour should remain "a broad church" representing a wide range of opnions.
And he said it was now time for the party to unite and turn their fire on the Conservatives.
Labour activists have tabled confidence motions in several MPs who have been critical of the party leader, particularly over anti-Semitism.
They include Joan Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, who lost a confidence vote 94-92 last Thursday night.
In the most recent example, Rosie Duffield, Labour's first ever MP for Canterbury, is facing a "motion of censure" by her local party on Wednesday for also speaking out on the issue.
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said: "I know what it feels like to be the target of a no confidence vote but it would be wrong for me to intervene in the democratic rights of any part of the Labour Party."
That was a reference to a motion of no confidence in Mr Corbyn which was overwhelmingly passed by Labour MPs during the 2016 attempt to unseat him.
The Labour leader added: "The Labour party has always been a broad church and I'm determined it remains so.
"We will always have some differences of opinion and we must protect the right of criticism and debate but our first and overwhelming priority is to deliver for the people we represent and remove this Conservative government from office.
"We must focus on that priority and turn our fire outwards."
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