Ms Eagle is set to formally announce her leadership challenge on Monday in an attempt to remove Mr Corbyn as party leader after a disastrous few weeks for Labour.

However, she clashed with journalist Rachel Shabi, a supporter of Mr Corbyn and frequent writer for The Guardian, on BBC 5 Live's Peinaar’s Politics.

Ms Shabi asked: "I am wondering why this time round… given the sort of political record you have got, supporting the Iraq War, opposing the inquiry into the Iraq War, supporting university tuition fees, abstaining from the welfare bill…"

Ms Eagle then cut Ms Shabi off and snapped: "You sound like you are reading one of the rather nasty little memes going round on Twitter."