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Tearful Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett pleaded with Jeremy Corbyn to go this morning in an emotional radio interview.

The 73-year-old, who was first elected to parliament in 1974, was choked with emotion as she talked to Nick Robinson about the break-up threatening the Labour "family" after MPs' no confidence vote in their leader.

Her voice catching, she said: “Jeremy is the ninth Labour leader under whom I have served.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be casting a vote of no confidence in the leader of the Labour party .

"I have been loyal to every single one of them with their different views and approaches.”

An overwhelming majority of Labour MPs passed the no confidence motion, 172 of them saying they did not have faith in Mr Corbyn as leader.

But he issued a defiant statement, insisting he would not "betray" members by resigning.

Labour has been in crisis since the EU referendum result, more than 50 MPs quitting Mr Corbyn's Shadow team, many of them aghast at his lacklustre contribution to the Remain campaign.

His cobbled together new Shadow Cabinet held its first meeting yesterday, with the photo shoot turning into another embarrassment as candid comments were caught on camera.

Potential candidates to replace Mr Corbyn as leader are set to break cover today as the party's MPs continue to seek a way forward.

And Dame Margaret called on her leader to stand down for the good of the pary.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “This is the worst job in politics - being leader of the Labour party as leader of the opposition. I completely understand the pressures are horrendous and can make enormous difficulties that are hard to overcome.

(Image: Bill Rowntree/Daily Mirror)

“But when you assume leadership you have to understand that the interests of those you lead come before your own. And in those interests I’m afraid he must stand aside.”

Asked if it sounds like a family trauma, she said with her voice breaking: “The Labour party is a family and that is precisely what it is.”

(Image: Daily Mirror)

She added: “There are lots of people who admire the lots of fine qualities Jeremy has. I don’t think anybody would quarrel with that. But they don’t of themselves make you a leader.

“Jeremy has no experience. It’s not a fault it’s just a fact. He has no experience at all of the problems of leadership - the hassle, the scrutiny from [the press]. That’s a world that was beyond him until he was elected leader.”

Dame Margaret, who has represented Derby South since 1983, was deputy leader of the party when John Smith died and stood in as Leader of the Opposition.

She ran for leadership of the party but came last to Tony Blair , but went on to hold a number of positions in his government.

And the longest serving woman MP in parliament, today warned the party must survive - for the people who need it.

(Image: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

She added: “Part of what came out of the turbulence of the last day or so was the realisation that there are people around Jeremy who are prepared to see the Labour party split, rather than for him to go.

“And that is anathema to everybody who thinks we need to get rid of this government and the damage they are doing.

“The Labour party has to get its act together. It has to survive. Not because we have any right to exist as a party but because the nation needs [an] alternative government.”

Her emotional intervention was praised by Labour colleague Chuka Umunna, who tweeted: "Extremely moving and heart breaking interview with @ UKLabour legend Margaret Beckett on @ BBCr4today. Agree with every word."

Corbyn backers attacker her position, with one commenting: "Margaret Beckett subverts Leftist ideals in the name of 'electability' -the Blairite project is dead, voters won't rally around a Tory clone."

But others defended her comments, Gareth Smith tweeting: "To those calling Margaret Beckett a Blairite. She ran against Tony Blair for Leader of the Labour Party with Jeremy Corbyn 's backing!"

Tessa Jowell also issued a direct plea to Jeremy Corbyn to stand down this morning.

The former culture secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the Labour leader was putting the party’s future in jeopardy.

Baroness Jowell described the leadership crisis as a “complete shambles” and said it was a “statement of the obvious” that Mr Corbyn must stand down.

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Speaking down the camera directly to Mr Corbyn she said: “Jeremy, you love the Labour Party like I do and the Labour Party has given you every opportunity that you have been able to exercise to make life for your constituents better.

“You and I are in the same position in relation to that but it is absolutely clear that your continued leadership is putting the Labour Party’s future in jeopardy and denying millions of people in our country who so desperately need representation by a Labour government the chance of that Labour government.

“So I ask you to follow the strongest possible view of the parliamentary party and stand down.”