UK opposition leader Corbyn has slim support of party members

The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has the support of half his party’s grassroots members, a poll published on Thursday showed, as he faces intense pressure to resign or face a leadership challenge.

The YouGov poll for the Times newspaper showed 50 percent of party members would back Corbyn in a leadership contest, and 47 percent said they would not support him. A previous poll showed 64 percent would have voted for him in early May.

Corbyn has refused to stand aside despite a revolt among the party’s elected lawmakers, who say he did not campaign hard enough for a ‘Remain’ vote in the country’s European union referendum, and who fear he cannot lead them to an election victory.

Corbyn’s critics are expected to unite behind a new candidate and trigger a formal leadership challenge in the coming days.

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