Labour could lose Copeland and Stoke by-elections but Jeremy Corbyn won't quit, Diane Abbott says

 Labour could lose two by-elections this week as it faces challenges from the Conservatives and Ukip, a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn has admitted.

Diane Abbott, the shadow Home Secretary, said that the Copeland and Stoke by-elections will both be "difficult" and "quite tight".

The Conservatives believe that they are on course to win Copeland in Cumbria, making them the first governing party to gain a seat in a by-election since 1982.

Paul Nuttall, the Ukip leader, is standing in Stoke where he is hoping that Labour's disarray over Brexit will help him win in the Leave-voting seat. While conceding that Labour could lose both of the by-elections on Thursday, however, Ms Abbott insisted that Mr Corbyn will stay on as leader.

Ms Abbott, speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, said: "These are difficult by-elections, they're going to be quite tight. "We are hopeful of winning both of them but it's really important that every Labour supporter comes out to vote.

"And if we lose one or we lose both, I think the party will go forward. It has to go forward."

Presenter Ms Ridge pressed Ms Abbott: "So no questions over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership then if he loses?"

Ms Abbott replied: "No, no. I mean there are people who have been opposed to Jeremy from the very beginning, I'm not one of them and I think we have to move forward."

Despite Labour having held Copeland since 1945, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon yesterday insisted it is not a "safe Labour seat".

In Stoke Mr Nuttall is under mounting pressure after a series of false claims about him were made on his official website.

They include a suggestion that he lost one of his friends at the Hillsborough disaster. Ukip yesterday faced further embarrassment after tweeting a photo which claimed to show campaigners in Stoke when they were actually in Bolton.

The party's Twitter account pictured its "people's army" gathered in a car park with "Vote Ukip" placards, adding they were in the West Midlands city to aid leader Paul Nuttall's bid to become MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

But other Twitter users insisted the location was more than 50 miles away near the Macron Stadium, home to Bolton Wanderers and the venue for Ukip's spring conference on Friday. Ukip said the error was caused following a mix-up with its digital team, with a spokesman stating the photo was taken before activists set off to Stoke.