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A petition calling for Wallasey MP Angela Eagle to resign has been launched after her vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn.

The Mersey MP is one of those being tipped to take on the Labour leader, who today lost a 172-40 vote of confidence in his leadership.

A Change.org petition has received over 600 signatures since it was launched at around 4pm on Tuesday.

It reads: “We wish Angela Eagle to resign as MP of Wallasey, as she does not represent our constituents views and our wishes. She should have supported Corbyn, not resigned. Keep Corbyn. Eagle Resign.”

A source close to Ms Eagle said: “Polls about politics and politicians take place every day, they’re nothing new.

“Angela is popular and hardworking local MP and I know she has the support of the overwhelming majority of her local party members and councillors.”

Ms Eagle was tearful yesterday as she explained why she had joined the majority of her shadow cabinet colleagues in quitting the Labour front bench.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s The World At One, she fought back the tears, and claimed her resignation had been an “agonising decision.”

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She said: “I have examined my conscience and I have made this personal decision. I think it is in the best interests of the Labour Party that Jeremy now examines his conscience and makes a decision to leave with dignity.”

She said she had tried to speak to Mr Corbyn amid the turmoil on Sunday but when she texted him she received no response.

She added: “We are very possibly going to be facing a General Election in the next four months, and we can’t have our party led by someone who can’t get that kind of simple message across.

“Now, I have a great deal of respect for Jeremy. I talked to him finally today – I think communication is really important now. I texted him yesterday while things were going on, and tried to get hold of him and just heard nothing back and I think there are real problems with the way that office works and the way that Jeremy communicates.”