ANGELA Eagle has launched her bid to topple Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader - winning the early backing from an ex-Worcestershire parliamentary candidate.

The former shadow business secretary has insisted she can make the party electable again after the "howls of pain" expressed by voters which led to Brexit.

"I am a person who brings people together, I don't drive them apart - I will unite, I will not divide," she said.

Mrs Eagle said it was a matter for the party's ruling National Executive Committee whether Mr Corbyn needed to be nominated by 51 MPs and MEPs to be allowed to stand as a candidate against her.

Mr Corbyn has refused to step down despite days of talks between his deputy Tom Watson and union chiefs, and is said to be considering suing his own party unless he is allowed to defend his position.

Labour Councillor Robin Lunn, who stood for the party in Mid-Worcestershire at last year's general election, said: "There will clearly now be a leadership election, there will have to be one.

"I didn't support Jeremy Corbyn as our new leader but I respected the democratic mandate he got to take it on.

"But you can't continue if you lose the support of your shadow cabinet, so I think it's right we have a new one.

"Angela Eagle is a serious candidate with good governmental experience and I'll be very pleased when we've got a new leader in place."

Mrs Eagle's bid looks set to trigger civil war within the party, and comes after 172 Labour MPs indicated they had 'no confidence' in Mr Corbyn in a damning ballot.

Describing herself as a "practical socialist", Ms Eagle said Mr Corbyn was not up to the job.

"He has been hiding behind a door not talking to his Members of Parliament - that's not leadership," she said.

"He's opened the party to new ideas, but we need other people to take them forward. "This isn't about splitting the Labour Party, it's about creating a strong, united party."

Ms Eagle has the backing of the 51 MPs needed for the formal challenge but it remains unclear whether Mr Corbyn will also have to secure the support of MPs in order to take her on.

Labour's general secretary Iain McNicol said: "I have now received sufficient nominations to trigger a contest for the position of leader of the Labour Party.

"I will now ask the chair of the National Executive Committee to convene a meeting to confirm arrangements for an election."