Jeremy Corbyn remains on Labour leadership ballot after High Court rejects legal challenge

Corbyn and McDonnell - credit Yui Mok/PA

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will remain on the Labour leadership ballot, after an attempt to remove him failed at the High Court.

The ruling means Corbyn, as an incumbent, does not need to secure nominations from 51 MPs or MEPs.

This upholds the decision by the party’s ruling NEC at the start of the month, which voted in Corbyn’s favour by 18 votes to 14.

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Welsh MP Owen Smith has challenged Corbyn after a mutiny by Labour parliamentary party in the wake of the EU referendum result.

Labour donor Michael Foster challenged the NEC decision at the High Court in London, claiming Corbyn was so unpopular among MPs he would fail to get enough nominations.

However Mr Justice Foskett ruled the NEC was correct, and Corbyn remains on the ballot paper.

Corbyn welcomed the decision, saying he hoped for a “comradely and respectful” election.

“This was a monumental waste of Labour Party time and resources when our party should be focused on holding the government to account. The right of half a million Labour Party members to choose their own leader should never have been in question. If anything, we should aim to expand the Labour Party membership,” he said.

 Speaking before the ruling, Smith said he hoped Corbyn would remain on the ballot.

"We're a political party and judges shouldn't be interfering in what we decide," he told BBC News.

Meanwhile opinion polls of Labour members by YouGov and Opinium suggest he will beat Smith to remain leader, with the latest showing 54 per cent will vote for him to remain leader.