Along with many in the Labour Party I am angry and saddened that the Party now finds itself in what must rank as the worst crisis in its history. To find anything comparable, we need to go back to Labour’s first Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald who formed a National Government with the Conservatives in 1931 is order, mistakenly as it turned out, to deal with the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression. Macdonald split the Labour Party which was heavily defeated in the subsequent general election.

The Labour Party has faced other crises along the way, but none, I contend, as great as the one now confronting us.

I now think the only way Labour can resolve its difficulties is by choosing a new Leader. Angela Eagle is taking a very courageous step in standing against Jeremy Corbyn, a decision she announced within the last few hours.  It has become glaringly obvious that Corbyn is not up to the job. He is also on the hard left of the Labour Party, allied with fringe groups who do not believe in parliamentary democracy.

Labour needs a new, vibrant and enthusiastic Leader who will take us forward and win the next general election, a leader who is committed to gaining a majority in the House of Commons while at the same time upholding Labour values.

That person is Angela Eagle. I will be nominating Angela and campaigning for her all the way.

Angela has a wealth of experience. She has held ministerial office, having been appointed Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions in 2009. She has subsequently been Shadow Leader of the House, Shadow Chief Treasury Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

I got to know Angela on the National Policy Forum. I am a NPF member and Angela has been the Chair for a long time. She has done that job very well, being both hard-working and thoughtful, weighing up evidence and avoiding trite conclusions based on ideology. I urge Labour Party members to support Angela Eagle for Leader.