I might have won election for Labour if I was leader, claims Corbyn rival

Relief as Clyde gets new frigate contract securing jobs for decades

THE man who lost the UK Labour leadership to Jeremy Corbyn has claimed the party might have clinched the General Election if he had been in charge.

Shadow North Ireland secretary Owen Smith was asked on Sky yesterday whether he fared better on June 8 as leader.

He said: “I don’t know, I hope so. I hope I might have even got us to win.”

The Pontypridd MP was backed by most Labour parliamentarians for leader, but won just 38 per cent of the overall vote.

He went on: “I think Jeremy has clearly galvanised young people in this country. We’ve seen that not just in the election, but since.

“I met people during the election who hadn’t voted ever, certainly people who hadn’t voted for a long while, who felt Jeremy was speaking to and for them and that Labour was speaking to and for them.

“I don’t think any of us can argue with that and therefore I think he’s earned the right to try and get Labour into power and earned the right to be out next prime minister.”

Meanwhile, Labour deputy Tom Watson said Mr Corbyn’s position was “completely secure”.

An Opinium poll for the Observer put Labour on 45 per cent and the Tories on 39, while Survation had the Tories on 41 and Labour at 40, the same as Labour in the election. A FIRST contract has been signed for Clyde yards to build a new generation of frigates in a move the UK Government said would guarantee hundreds of jobs for 20 years.

BAE Systems, which owns two Glasgow yards, now has a £3.7 billion signed deal for the first three of an expected eight Type 26 Global Combat Ships. Another contract for the next five frigates will be negotiated in the early 2020s.

The defence multinational has secured the contract after years of constitutional politics, including UK Government threats to pull out of the Clyde if Scotland voted Yes in the 2014 independence referendum.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “The contract is structured to ensure value for taxpayers’ money and, importantly, now designed to protect them from extra bills from project overrun. The investment will secure hundreds of skilled jobs at BAE Systems on the Clyde for the next 20 years, and thousands of jobs in the supply chain across Britain. ”

Local SNP MP Chris Stephens said: “The building of these frigates keeps shipbuilding on the Clyde, and will now allow BAE to reach out to the community in Govan as one of the largest employers.”

The Type 26s are designed to protect Trident and Britain’s two new aircraft carriers.