Jeremy Corbyn and his allies are braced for a bruising meeting of Labour MPs on Monday as the leader prepares to be challenged on his support for decriminalisation of the sex industry, campaigning on the EU and the party’s performance in upcoming local elections.

Female Labour MPs are expected to voice their opposition to Corbyn’s comments on prostitution and sex workers at the meeting of the parliamentary party (PLP), as others vent broader frustration at his leadership.

With the budget due in just over a week’s time, Corbyn and his team will seek to shift the party’s focus on to their economic policies, with an “economy action day” planned for next Saturday aimed at highlighting Labour’s opposition to austerity.

But a number of MPs plan to raise his apparent support for decriminalising prostitution, which emerged last week. “It’s a big issue for him,” said one.

Prominent Labour women, including Harriet Harman, Caroline Flint and Jess Phillips, reacted with fury after Corbyn told students at Goldsmiths university in London on Thursday night: “I am in favour of decriminalising the sex industry,” adding that he wanted to “do things a bit differently and in a bit more [of a] civilised way”.

How best to help sex workers is a hugely controversial issue on the left. Some, led by campaign group the English Collective of Prostitutes, argue that decriminalisation would allow regulation to limit the dangers, but others warn it would leave vulnerable women exposed to abuse.

Corbyn attended last week’s PLP meeting – at which Jon Trickett, the shadow cabinet minister in charge of Labour’s strategy for May’s local elections, gave a presentation – but the session was broken up when MPs had to vote, and the leader irritated some present by failing to return to take questions.

Some backbenchers plan to use Monday night’s meeting to ask more specific questions about the leadership’s approach to the May elections, including what Labour’s target for local council seats will be.

As well as local elections, voting will take place in May for London’s mayor – pitting the pro-Brexit Zac Goldsmith against Sadiq Khan, who nominated Corbyn for the Labour leadership – and a pivotal election in Scotland, in which the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, hopes to consolidate the Scottish National party’s hold on power in Holyrood.

All three polls are widely regarded as key tests of Corbyn’s leadership, but some around him are already playing down expectations.

There is also growing talk at Westminster of a potential leadership challenge to Corbyn, despite polls of grassroots members suggesting he still carries widespread support in the party.



Dan Jarvis, the former paratrooper seen as a potential candidate, has played down speculation that he could stand, while Rachel Reeves, the former shadow work and pensions secretary known to be sceptical of Corbyn’s economic policies, and sometimes touted as an alternative shadow chancellor, will give a speech on Monday.

Critics also interpreted pre-released comments from a speech given by the leader last week as blaming the Labour government for the 2008 financial crisis. Corbyn referenced in the briefed material the “outsourcing economic policy to the City of London”. Key passages of the speech to the British Chambers of Commerce, which were briefed to journalists, appeared to have been toned down before he delivered it.

Corbyn will have the chance to take on George Osborne directly next week, when he responds to the budget in the House of Commons for the first time – a role traditionally taken by the leader of the opposition rather than the shadow chancellor.

Despite his comments on prostitution, a letter from Corbyn to a constituent from 2010 describes the “Nordic model” that criminalises buyers of sex, rather than the sellers, as a “viable example for UK policymakers to follow”.



Yvette Cooper urged Jeremy Corbyn to do more campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters

Since writing the letter, it is understood that Corbyn’s position has shifted to a view that evidence suggests the Nordic model may cause more harm and exploitation of sex workers. In the next few months, the Labour leader will be keen to listen to the conclusions of the Commons home affairs select committee, which is undertaking an inquiry into the legislation around prostitution.

Niki Adams, the spokesperson for the collective of English prostitutes was reported last July to have said Corbyn was “completely on board” with its “Pledge Decrim” campaign for decriminalisation supported by figures including the artist Grayson Perry.



Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper called on Corbyn to do more to involve Labour in the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU. Asked on Sky News about his approach to the upcoming referendum, she said: “As you know, the Labour party is strongly supporting the case for being in Europe.

“I hope that Jeremy will do some more things campaigning on Europe, I think it’s really important that he does. I think it is right that Jeremy should be campaigning for Europe and for being in Europe. It is the most important thing. I think if Jeremy could concentrate on the in arguments that would be great.”

Liz Kendall, another Labour MP and former party leadership contender, warned there were “some on the left of the party who may be prevaricating” about Britain’s EU membership.

The MP for Leicester West told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show: “This is the biggest political issue we face in a generation and it’s going to rest on Labour members and supporters getting out to vote to make sure we remain part of the EU.

“There are some on the left of the party who may be prevaricating about our membership, but actually it’s about jobs, growth and the politics of solidarity and we have to make that case.”