Jeremy Corbyn last night claimed he could re-unite the troubled Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) after the leadership election is finally over in two weeks’ time.

The leader insisted Labour would “come together” if, as expected, he retains his job when the result is declared on September 24.

Corbyn was forced to fend off a series of attacks from Owen Smith, however, over his competence in the top job and the suggestion that Labour had trailed the Tories in more than 80 opinion polls over the last 12 months.

As well as clashing over Labour’s performance in its core job of opposing the Tories, the two candidates also debated the EU referendum, Smith’s plans to put Brexit to another vote of the British people and Corbyn’s handling of the anti-Semitism row.

On a night when there seemed to be no clear winner, Corbyn appeared increasingly confident that he could draw some former frontbenchers back to his shadow Cabinet this autumn.

“You will see the wish of MPs to reflect the wishes of party members all over the country that there’s a coming together in order to oppose this Tory government,” he told the audience of the BBC’s Question Time in Oldham.

That prospect appeared to move one step closer this week when the PLP voted to restore elections to the shadow Cabinet – which Ed Miliband had phased out in 2011 in favour of a system of appointments – in a move which must be ratified by Labour’s ruling NEC as well as party conference.

Last night Corbyn said: “When the election is over and if I am elected leader of the party, I hope the MPs will come together. We will once again have a shadow cabinet that is balanced and is extended to all wings of the party and we will get together to take on the Tories and what they are doing to health, to education.”

Smith, the former shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, has refused to return to the shadow Cabinet if Corbyn is re-elected and has also offered the veteran left-winger the position of party president or chairman if he manages to unseat him.

Corbyn clearly had more support at the Oldham venue but one questioner was unimpressed with both candidates and called for them to stand aside in favour of Harriet Harman.

Comment: Smith honed his attack but Corbyn was philosophical as summer saga nears its end