Labour looks like it's about to tear itself in two

Labour opponents of Jeremy Corbyn today twisted the knife following the party’s general election disaster - setting up the prospect of a bitter civil war ahead of its leadership election.

A slew of senior moderate MPs, candidates who lost their seats, and mayor of London Sadiq Khan, called for Mr Corbyn to stand down immediately and also demanded a change in the party’s culture following its historic defeat.

Mr Khan called for Mr Corbyn, with whom he has always had an uneasy relationship, to “stand down quickly”.

“If we are truly honest with ourselves,” he said, “we knew in our heart of hearts that Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership was deeply unpopular with the British people and that we were extremely unlikely to form a Labour government last night.

Ilford North MP Wes Streeting tweeted: “There are many things that need to change in the Labour Party. Let’s start with something simple: there are no ‘right wingers’, ‘neo cons’, or ‘Tories’ in the Labour Party.”

Adopting Mr Corbyn’s 2015 leadership campaign slogan, he added: “Nor are there ‘slugs’ or ‘melts’. Let’s deliver kinder, gentler politics for real this time.”

In a brutal broadside, Barking MP Margaret Hodge, one of Mr Corbyn’s most vocal critics over anti-Semitism claims, had earlier said: “Corbyn talking about a period of ‘reflection’.

“I’ve reflected. You failed. Please stand down.”

Caroline Flint, who lost her Don Valley seat after 22 years, said: “The Labour Remainer message buried colleagues in Labour Leave seats along with hostility to Corbyn.”

As the last seat was declared on Friday afternoon, Labour were left with a disastrous 203 seats: a loss of 59 from 2017.

Mr Corbyn, however, said in an interview with the BBC that he would not be heeding the calls to step down immediately and that a new leader would be selected early next year.

He said: ”I called last night for a period of reflection in the party and obviously the ruling body of the party, our national executive, will decide what process we follow then for the election of the successor to me.

"But I am quite prepared, and I was elected to do so, to lead the party until that takes place."

He also refused to shoulder personal blame for the defeat, telling the corporation: “I've done everything I could to lead this party.”

The row within the party could grow increasingly bitter over the next few weeks as it seeks a leader to make it electable for the first time since 2015.

While the likes of Ms Cooper have refused to rule out a leadership bid, the restructure of the party since Mr Corbyn’s election in 2015 in favour of his left-wing ideology means one of his shadow cabinet allies is still the most likely to succeed him.

The likes of Rebecca Long-Bailey, Angela Rayner and Emily Thornberry have been mooted.

And Mr Corbyn himself ended his speech at the Islington count with a pointed remark apparently outlining his determination that his ideology lives on.

“We will forever continue the cause for socialism,” he said, “for social justice and for a society based on the needs of all rather than the greed of the few.

— Read more from Yahoo News UK —

The night Jeremy Corbyn's socialist dream died

Jeremy Corbyn hints he will leave his role as Labour leader 'in the early part of next year'

Boris Johnson meets the Queen and breezes into Downing Street as Prime Minister

“That is what makes our party what it is, and I am very proud of the achievements of our party and the development of its manifesto and its ideas.

“And I tell you what, those ideas and those principles are eternal and they will be there for all time.”