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Jeremy Corbyn is exploring a legal challenge to new Labour leadership voting rules stitching him up.

In a sensational twist to the civil war tearing Labour apart , Mr Corbyn vowed – in an interview with the Sunday Mirror – to overturn the latest move to oust him.

It comes after Labour’s ruling national executive imposed a back-dated voting ban on members who joined after January 12.

Anyone wanting a say on who will be leader has just two days this week to sign up and must pay £25, compared with £3 last year.

That also goes for union members opting for Labour membership.

(Image: Stan Kujawa)

Mr Corbyn said: “I’m very concerned. We haven’t heard the end of this. A lot of people joined the party in the last six months and will be extremely annoyed.

“They joined because they want to be involved in the party and they’re not being allowed to.

“There may be a legal move, but nothing has been decided yet. Not by me anyway.”

The latest legal threat comes after moves to keep Mr Corbyn off the ballot paper altogether unless he could find 51 Labour MPs and MEPs to nominate him.

Mr Corbyn neutralised that threat – after hinting at a legal challenge.

And in a dig at the 172 Labour MPs trying to oust him he told us: “Some are nervous about a large Labour membership.

“But the party is better and stronger when it’s larger.”

(Image: Stan Kujawa)

Manuel Cortes, General Secretary of the 20,000-strong TSSA transport union, said the new system would be illegal if used to start a strike.

He added: “If this decision is not overturned, it may well take a legal ruling to end the disenfranchisement of our members.”

Todmorrow former shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Owen Smith will launch his own campaign to become Labour leader in his Pontypridd constituency.

On Monday he will fight it out with former shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle at Commons hustings before Labour MPs.

As the only hope of beating Mr Corbyn is if just one challenger stands, Mr Smith is content for the contender with least nominations to drop out.

But a source close to Ms Eagle said: “She’s not going to stand down.”

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In the increasingly bitter battle with his MPs, the Labour leader revealed that like Ms Eagle, he is getting death threats.

He said: “I inform police and take reasonable precautions. But I don’t want to he cut off, or locked away.

"The abuse we get as individuals you kind of sign up for. But your families don’t, your children don’t, your parents don’t.

“The harassment of my family for the past year has been unbelievable.”

The gunning down of Labour MP Jo Cox , who was buried on Friday, profoundly affected all MPs.

Mr Corbyn said: “I was utterly shocked. I spoke to her dad. I spoke to Brendan, her husband.

“It was an attack on democracy, on all of us. But if our response is that MPs should end up with security details round them all the time that would be a terrible thing.”

Mr Corbyn brushed aside the leadership contest “as a little local difficulty”.

He told us: “I’m the only one in the office who is relaxed. They’re all running round getting me to do stuff and I have to settle them down.”

(Image: Stan Kujawa)

He said he has never thought of quitting.

The leader, elected by party members last year, added: “I recognise strong feelings but also the responsibility I have.

“I was put there by a large number of people on a broad range of issues and I have the responsibility to see that through.”

But he is clearly hurt that Mr Smith and Ms Eagle turned on him. They were among scores of front-benchers to quit.

He said: “I’m sorry Angela and Owen decided to resign. I was disappointed so many decided to resign.

“I thought we were working well together. Owen and I have had good discussions.”.

But of his own MPs he said: “They should learn a few manners. Reducing everything to abuse or foul language is no help at all.”

Mr Corbyn was giving his first newspaper interview since a cackhanded coup to topple him began two weeks ago.

He chose a little cafe in his Islington North constituency in London to mount his fightback.

Our interview was constantly interrupted by wellwishers popping in to wish him good luck and get selfies.

He said he had a good shadow cabinet in place and there was no need for Labour to split after the leadership is resolved.

He promised: “I always knew people were unhappy with my election but Labour will stay together and I will bring back people who have gone.

"We have a duty to speak up and oppose the Tories.”

Mr Smith is promising a second referendum on Brexit if he becomes PM.

But Mr Corbyn said: “The country has voted – we have to respect that.”

Mr Corbyn is opposed to the renewal of £100billion Trident nukes but because of the mutiny in his ranks, he is allowing Labour MPs a free vote so he will not be humiliated.

Most will vote with the Tories, but he expects more than 40 to side with him.

Mr Corbyn also revealed what he said to David Cameron privately after his resignation PM’s questions on Wednesday.

“I thought it was only right that I should go and say to him thanks, good luck,” he said.

“He thanked me and wished me well. And since he was kind about my cat, I asked him to send my best regards to his dear mum.”

Poll brings some good news for Jeremy

As he battles for his political life, there is a crumb of comfort for Jeremy Corbyn in a ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror.

Labour voters say he has a much better chance of winning a General Election than leadership rivals Angela Eagle and Owen Smith.

They reckon by a margin of 50 per cent against 23 per cent he is a safer bet than Ms Eagle.

And they give him 44 per cent against 26 per cent over Mr Smith.

Mr Corbyn said: “It encourages me but I know there’s obviously still a lot of work to do.”

When the same poll question was put to all voters, regardless of party, Ms Eagle and Mr Smith are the preferred choice as PM.

Mr Smith beats Mr Corbyn by six points, Ms Eagle by four.