Half of Labour members think Jeremy Corbyn should quit by next election, YouGov poll finds

Labour leader: Jeremy Corbyn is mobbed by reporters in Stoke-on-Trent.
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Francesca Gillett6 March 2017
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Half of Labour members think leader Jeremy Corbyn should quit before the next general election.

A new poll by YouGov found 36 per cent believe the party leader should step down immediately and a further 14 per cent think he should go between now and the next election.

But 44 per cent of Labour members are backing the Islington MP to lead the party into the 2020 election, the survey found.

According to the poll, if Mr Corbyn were to step down his close ally and the current shadow chancellor John McDonnell would be the favourite to take over as leader while 12 per cent would back up-and-coming left winger Clive Lewis.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking at an NHS rally in central London on Sunday.
PA

The survey found around 10 per cent backed Chuka Umunna and Yvette Cooper with nine per cent would choose Sir Keir Starmer and Hilary Benn as successor.

But if another party leadership election was called, some 52 per cent of members said they would definitely vote for Mr Corbyn.

60 per cent of party members said they thought it unlikely that Mr Corbyn would ever become PM but interestingly very few seemed to think his removal would boost Labour’s chances.

The survey, which ran for five days last week, comes after Jeremy Corbyn published his tax return amid calls for transparency among politicians.

Labour said it was confident the leader had paid the correct amount of tax.

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