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As Angela Eagle launches her bid for leadership of the Labour party the Wallasey MP may also face deselection by her own local members.

The Wallasey constituency Labour Party (CLP) had urged the MP, and former Shadow Business Secretary, to support Jeremy Corbyn last month when plans for a vote of no confidence were first revealed.

Ms Eagle later emerged as one of the frontrunners to challenge the Labour leader after the party’s MPs overwhelmingly backed the no confidence motion in him. Shortly after a petition was launched calling on Ms Eagle to resign, and has now collected more than 14,000 signatures .

Over the weekend the MP confirmed her plan to formally challenge Jeremy Corbyn, and said: “The Labour Party needs to be saved - I’m stepping up to the plate to say it’s about time that we did this so we can make the Labour Party relevant again and so we can contend for government.

“I want to ensure our country can be healed after the terrible shock that Brexit is going to inflict on it.”

Ms Eagle is expected to formally announce her leadership bid at noon today.

Watch Angela Eagle's awkward moment as she launches her Labour leader bid

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But now Ms Eagle also faces a vote of no confidence, with an enlarged local party membership which has seen its numbers swelled since the prospect of a challenge against Corbyn first emerged.

Since June 24 vice chair of Wallasey CLP Paul Davies said they had seen their membership grow by 367 members to total more than 1,200.

Tonight (Monday July 11) the CLP’s executive is due to meet to prepare a meeting of the full membership, scheduled for July 22.

Paul Davies said he had initially opposed moves to deselect the MP but would know for sure whether he will support a call for deselection later in the week after a debate at one of the local branches.

Mr Davies said he is “still trying to keep an even keel but it’s getting more difficult”.

He added that some party members had been angered by accusations of intimidation and homophobic remarks made against others in the CLP, which they strongly deny.

Mr Davies said: “I think people who were lukewarm, wondering last summer should I vote for Corbyn or {Andy] Burnham, will now be springing to Corbyn’s defence. There may be others who supported Corbyn and may have changed their mind.”

The issue is further complicated by a row over whether Jeremy Corbyn will be allowed to defend his leadership. The party’s national executive committee is expected to make a decision that he needs to gain the support of 20% of MPs and MEPs to stand, although Mr Corbyn has said he plans to defend his position.

Addressing the issue of disquiet in her local party at her leadership launch, Ms Eagle said: “There are some people who are making a noise, but they are a tiny minority of people who were thrown out in the 1990s, who have come back. I can cope with that.”

What is deselection?

All MPs have to be confirmed as their local party’s candidate in a General Election. Normally, this is a formality as the sitting MP is accepted as the preferred candidate.

Deselection is when an MP is not chosen to be the party’s nomination for an election.

Former West Derby MP Bob Wareing was deselected by party members in 2007, being ditched in favour of Stephen Twigg – the man famous for beating Michael Portillo in the 1997 General Election .

However, Mr Wareing did not immediately lose his seat, but was expected to officially remain MP until Gordon Brown called a General Election, which took place in 2010.