Labour leadership contest: 24 hours left to 'save the party', opposing campaigns warn

Labour Party members and politicians on both sides of the Jeremy Corbyn debate have stepped up campaigning as the deadline to register to vote in the landmark leadership election fast approaches.

The two-day window in which people can sign up as registered supporters – allowing them to vote for the new Labour leader, for a fee of £25 – began at 5pm on Monday, and is due to close 5pm Wednesday.

Non-members, along with anyone who joined the Labour Party after January 2016, will have to do this in order to cast a vote in the Labour leadership contest.

Amid outrage at the introduction of the fee, opposing sides have both been urging Labour voters to do whatever it takes to “save the Labour party” – whether that be to re-elect Mr Corbyn or to ensure he is kept out.

Online anti-Corbyn campaign group Saving Labour, believed to have been set up shortly after the leader lost a vote of no confidence in June, wrote to their followers on Monday: “You have 48 hours to save the Labour Party. Be brave. Be proud. Act fast.”

Saving Labour urged followers to register and vote for “a strong Labour leader” by backing Mr Corbyn's rivals, though it has not officially backed either Angela Eagle or Owen Smith.

Momentum, a successor of the initial campaign to elect Mr Corbyn as leader, also urged those currently unable to vote to take advantage of the two-hour window.

Its online campaign urged followers to “#Register4Change” and re-elect Mr Corbyn, using the slogan: “democracy shouldn’t have a price tag- but we can’t afford to lose this.”

Though it has heavily criticised the “not fair” £25 fee imposed by Labour National Executive Committee, Momentum is still encouraging anyone who can to find the money and vote “for a future where you don’t have to buy votes.”

Actress Maxine Peake appeared in a video, posted on Mr Corbyn’s page Monday evening, echoing Momentum’s sentiment, urging people to “look behind that settee, find those pennies, scrape together £25 to vote for Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party, as future PM”.

Mr Corbyn’s rival leadership candidates, Ms Eagle and Mr Smith, have come under pressure for one of them to step down, so as not to split the anti-Corbyn vote.

However, a YouGov poll for The Times shows Mr Corbyn would likely still win the leadership contest, even if he only faces one contender

In the poll of Labour members, 54 per cent said Mr Corbyn would receive their first preference vote, compared to 36 per cent for Ms Eagle and Mr Smith put together.

A total of 21 per cent said Ms Eagle would be their first choice, compared to 15 per cent who would put Mr Smith first.