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The Labour Party is stepping up preparations for a general election - and is asking sitting MPs to let them know if they want to stand again.

As the Tories tear chunks out of each other in a brutal leadership contest, the opposition is stepping up preparations for an election.

On Tuesday General Secretary Jennie Formby wrote to MPs asking them to let the party know if they want to stand again - and face new reselection rules.

It comes after Labour's ruling National Executive Committee met to confirm new guidelines - which will make it easier for unions and party members to deselect unpopular MPs.

The process of so called "trigger ballots" to decide if a sitting MP will face a contest are not new - but after divisive debates at Labour's conference last year the rules about how they work are.

(Image: AFP)

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Ahead of a possible general election, Labour will begin a reselection process of MPs. We are preparing for a general election, whenever it comes.

“Under longstanding Labour Party rules, reselection processes are held within every Labour-held constituency in between each general election. The process isn’t new."

Under the reselection rule change, the threshold to force sitting Labour MPs to fight open selection battles will be cut from 50% off all branches affiliated to a constituency party to 33% of local branches or 33% affiliated unions.

An MP who fails a "trigger ballot" is free to stand in any race which follows, but it becomes an open contest.

Centrist Labour MPs - or those who have fallen foul of the leadership - worry that the rule change will be used to cull Jeremy Corbyn's internal opponents.

But supporters of the rule change have said that it is just a small part of reclaiming control of the party from MPs and handing power back to the membership.

It comes as Mr Corbyn prepared to delay plans to announce a major step towards fully backing a second referendum.

The shadow cabinet is meeting today to thrash out the party’s Brexit position with pressure on the leadership to pledge to back Remain.

Labour MPs supporting a fresh public vote were expecting a breakthrough to be announced within days.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell hinted yesterday that there would be “white smoke” on a second referendum after the meeting.

But after talks with union chiefs yesterday, including Unite’s powerful general secretary Len McCluskey, Labour played down the expectations of an imminent announcement.

Sources suggested any decision would be kicked down the road “for the next few weeks” with more meetings with the unions planned.

A Unite source added: “The idea that there will be a puff of smoke at shadow cabinet is a jump too far ahead.”

There were also suggestions that Labour MPs could be allowed to campaign on different sides of the Brexit debate.