You've got 12 months, Jeremy! Now even Corbyn's closest ally admits the clock is ticking on Labour leader after Labour's disastrous by-elections

  • Shadow home secretary effectively sets deadline for Corbyn to improve ratings
  • Diane Abbott says in interview that polls have to improve 'within 12 months'
  • Labour has been trailing 17 points behind the Tories in recent opinion surveys 
  • Comments come after two dreadful by-election showings for the Labour Party

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 05:05 EST, 11 December 2016 | Updated: 11:29 EST, 11 December 2016

Jeremy Corbyn's closest ally has set a 12-month deadline for him to turn around Labour's fortunes after two disastrous by-elections.

Diane Abbott admitted the dreadful result in the Sleaford and North Hykeham constituency last week - where the party slumped into fourth place and saw its vote share nearly halved - had been deeply disappointing.

It came on the heels of a contest in Richmond where Labour humiliatingly lost its deposit and secured fewer votes than it has registered members in the area. 

Appearing on the BBC today Diane Abbott effectively set a 12-month deadline for Mr Corbyn to improve and look like a viable candidate to become Prime Minister

Polls have consistently shown the party is on track for a wipeout at the next general election, while Mr Corbyn himself has been less popular than 'dcn't know' in many surveys.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott - one of the veteran left-winger's staunchest supporters - conceded today that the situation could not continue much longer.

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, another long-term supporter, also set the same timescale of a year for things to improve. 

Although critics have largely kept quiet since Mr Corbyn easily fended off a challenge from Owen Smith over the summer, levels of despair and anger among MPs have not receded.

There has been speculation that frontbencher Clive Lewis, previously an ally of Mr Corbyn and himself on the left of the party, could challenge for the top job.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, Ms Abbott said she believed the infighting had damaged Labour but it was now getting its act together.

'I was always going to take time to pull round from that,' she said.

But she effectively set a deadline for Mr Corbyn to improve matters and look like a viable candidate to become Prime Minister in 2020 - or before if there is a snap general election.

'I am confident we are going to close the gap in the coming 12 months,' she said.

Pressed again on whether that meant he had to turn the party's fortunes around, she replied: 'Within the coming 12 months.' 

Appearing on the Sunday Politics programme, Mr Livingstone said: 'If in a year's time it's still as bad as this I think we would all be worried.'

Mr Corbyn was humiliatingly given a taste of his own medicine yesterday when protesters interrupted a speehc on human rights to complain about his stance on Syria

Clive Lewis and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry at the Labour Conference in September this year

Mr Corbyn was branded ‘hapless’ after a protest by veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell brought a human rights speech by the Labour leader to a halt.

And while rising party star Mr Lewis, 45, entered the Commons only at the 2015 General Election, the Shadow Business Secretary is now being touted by supporters as a serious candidate for the leadership.

The farce unfolded as a group led by Tatchell held up banners calling on Mr Corbyn to do more to stop the bombings in Aleppo. But after appearing uncertain how to react or of what his policy on Syria was, the Labour leader could be heard asking Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, sitting near him: ‘When did we condemn the bombing?’ 

Ms Abbott said she believed intense infighting had damaged Labour but it was now getting its act together

And Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti, ennobled by Mr Corbyn, tried to help by advising him: ‘Just let them [the protesters] do this.’  

As the banner-holding protesters stood in front of him, Mr Corbyn said: ‘It’s all right, it’s OK.’  

Labour slumped to a new low last week after a new poll revealed support forJeremy Corbyn's party has fallen to 25 per cent. 

It is the party's worst showing since the deeply unpopular Gordon Brown was Prime Minister in September 2009. 

The Tories have stretched their lead to 17 points, while a boost in support for the Lib Dems puts Tim Farron's party on 11 per cent, one point behind Ukip.  

The YouGov poll also found thatTheresa May is more than three times as popular than Mr Corbyn.

Even the answer 'don't know' is scored more than twice as much as the unpopular Labour leader. 

Labour slumped to a new low today after a new poll revealed support for Jeremy Corbyn's party has fallen to 25 per cent

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