LABOUR leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey has told critics of Corbynism not to call the movement a cult at the contest's first hustings today.

The 40-year-old, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn throughout his time at the top, also used the Liverpool event to make the case for what she called "aspirational socialism".

Long-Bailey is among the five candidates – with Sir Keir Starmer, Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy, and Emily Thornberry – currently vying for the Labour leadership, and is broadly seen as being on the left of the party.

Despite only entering parliament in 2015, she served in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet throughout his four years as leader, first as a shadow treasury minister and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, then as Shadow Secretary of State for Business.

Asked how she would unite Labour after recent infighting, she said: "I think we have to be honest with ourselves that, over the last four years, we haven't been united as a party.

"United parties win elections, and disunited parties don't.

"And it's not acceptable for any of our members to call other members a cult.

"It's not acceptable for any members to tell people to 'f- off' and go and join the Tories."

Shadow Brexit Secretary Starmer, viewed as being on the centre-left, similarly appealed to like-minded members not to "trash the last four years", saying Corbyn had "made us an anti-austerity party, there's no going back on that".

'I'VE BEEN TO AMSTERDAM'

Along with Starmer, Long-Bailey is currently a favourite to replace Corbyn, who stepped down as party leader following Labour's dramatic election loss in December.

She also has the backing of Momentum, the group within the Labour party formed to support Corbyn's leadership after his surpise win in 2015.

The hustings comes a day after Long-Bailey declined to deny having smoked cannabis in the past.

Asked in an interview whether she had ever taken illegal drugs, she replied: "Well, I've been to Amsterdam, that's all I'll say".

Similar questions dogged the Tory leadership contest last year after Michael Gove admitted having taken cocaine while a young journalist.

'WE NEED A LEADER WHO HAS FOUGHT ANTI-SEMITISM'

The event also saw a clash between candidates Jess Phillips and Emily Thornberry about the party's recent handling of anti-semitism among its membership.

Asked about the issue, backbencher Phillips said: "The Labour Party needs a leader who has spoken out about anti-Semitism and other forms of harassment when others were keeping quiet.

"I have to say I don't remember some of the people in this room being… in those particular fights when we were really pushing for this to change.

Shadow foreign secretary Thornberry replied: "I'll tell you what Jess, I have always been clear about it and I always will. It is absolutely unacceptable.

"It undermines our credibility and it undermines our soul and we should be kicking out these anti-Semites."

She went on to launch an attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying: "He is in the end a liar, he is callous, he doesn't care, he plays at politics, he plays with people's lives.

"He needs to be held to account."

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