Owen Smith Denies Calling Jeremy Corbyn A 'Lunatic'

Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has denied calling rival Jeremy Corbyn a "lunatic".

Mr Smith told Sky News he was talking about himself when he said: "What you won't get from me is some lunatic at the top of the Labour Party."

The Pontypridd MP continued: "Somebody had said I'd been running around like a lunatic earlier on.

"Look, it was a poor choice of words on my part and if anyone has been offended by that I'm very sorry.

"But I was simply making the point that we need a sensible Labour Party, one that is going to appeal right across the country."

Mr Smith made the "lunatic" remark at a meeting of party members in London on Tuesday.

During the event he tried to tout himself as the man to provide a "coherent narrative" that would try and win over millions of people who voted for the Conservatives at the last election.

Mr Smith also attempted to shore up his credentials as a radical candidate, quipping that "Jeremy is not the only socialist in the village".

He told the audience: "Jeremy, the biggest thing he said recently that I disagreed with was 'yes, we've got to get some of the people who contemplated voting Tory in the past to vote Labour', rubbish - we've got to get two million people who actively voted Tory 12 months ago to vote Labour in 106 seats.

"What you won't get from me is some lunatic at the top of the Labour Party.

"You will have someone who is trying to forge a coherent narrative about what is wrong with Britain, why we are so unproductive as an economy, why we are not creating more decent jobs."

Responding to Mr Smith's comments, the Jeremy for Labour campaigned condemned his choice of words.

A spokesman said: "Owen Smith has degraded this contest by descending into personal abuse.

"He should apologise to people suffering with mental illness, many of whom would have been dismayed and upset to hear such offensive language used in public by a Labour politician.

"He should also withdraw his remark, and spend time with people suffering from mental health problems to develop some sensitivity in his use of language."

The controversy comes as Mr Smith said he would block Brexit until the Government offers a second vote.

Mr Smith says that under his leadership Labour would not support the triggering of Article 50 unless there was a commitment from Prime Minister Theresa May to hold a second referendum or a General Election to approve the final Brexit deal.