London Evening Standard/London

Jeremy Corbyn was yesterday facing the threat of Labour defections after days of turmoil over his leadership.
In a dramatic interview, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron revealed that since last Saturday’s election result he has been contacted by Labour figures distraught about their new boss.
Farron told the Evening Standard: “I’ve had various unsolicited texts, some of them over the weekend, where I felt like I was being an agony aunt rather than anything else.
“People who have been members of the Labour Party for as long as I’ve been a member of mine feel that they don’t recognise their party anymore and feel deeply distressed.”
Asked if they were well-known figures, he said: “Some of them.”
When asked if they included Labour frontbenchers he replied: “I couldn’t possibly comment. The bottom line is ...  people in the Labour Party need to understand they can have conversations with me, which may or may not be conclusive, which will remain totally between me and them.”
He added: “I’ve had some conversations with people ... over the phone.”
The revelations over possible defections, emerging less than a week after Corbyn became the party’s leader, came as many Labour MPs were in despair over its future.
One said: “It’s a question of whether it’ll be a disaster or a bloodbath.”
Farron is said to be on good terms with several Labour moderates, including arch moderniser Lord Mandelson. In the full interview, to be published in today’s Evening Standard, the LibDem leader hailed Labour’s shift to the Left as a “quite staggering opportunity” for his party to occupy the centre ground as a “moderate, progressive, responsible” alternative to the Conservatives or Scottish Nationalists.
Corbyn sought to stabilise his leadership yesterday with appointments including Neale Coleman, a City Hall adviser to both Mayor Boris Johnson and previously Ken Livingstone, as executive director of policy. He is also due to appoint a personal spokesman on Monday after the shambles over whether he will sing the national anthem and confusion on European policy.
He suffered a fresh blow yesterday as a millionaire donor offered to support MPs wanting to split from Labour.
Businessman and Hull City owner Assem Allam, who has given £720,000 to Labour since 2010, said Corbyn could not provide a “strong opposition” and warned that the party could face three further election defeats.
He told The Times he would “do anything I can” to support moderate MPs as he said “Labour under Comrade Corbyn will not make a government”.

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