JEREMY Corbyn has asked leadership rival Owen Smith to pull out of the race so he can run as Labour’s lone unity candidate.

The 67-year-old agrees with his challenger that the party should end its internal battle and rally around a single leadership candidate, but that it should be him.

Corbyn said: “Two people can never be one. That’s obvious.

“And, just as Angela Eagle left the race to avoid splitting the vote between herself and Owen, so should Owen drop out to ensure there is no choice whatsoever.

“The leadership election would still go ahead with a single candidate and voting would be made compulsory, giving me an indisputable 100 per cent unity mandate.

“Then I’ll probably go on another one of my holidays. There’s not really anything else that needs my attention right now.”