OWEN Smith, the Labour leadership contender, has accused his rival Jeremy Corbyn of “threatening to sack” some of the party’s MPs after the leader emphasised the need for re-selection before the 2020 General Election.

The spat came as Mr Corbyn made clear he believed there should be a snap General Election despite Labour being 11 points behind the Conservatives.

He told LBC radio that “of course” there should be an election because Theresa May had become Prime Minister "without a mandate" from the country and voters should not have to wait four years before going to the polls.

The party leader, launching his leadership campaign in London, stressed how there would have to be a "full and open selection process" in every UK seat because of a shake-up of constituency boundaries to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

But this prospect has raised fears that if the Islington MP were to win the Labour crown again, it would begin a process of trying to oust moderate MPs as Labour candidates at the next election.

Mr Smith, a former shadow work and pensions secretary, claimed Mr Corbyn was now willing to see the party split.

"It's not much of an employer that says, you know, work for me and work harder or I'm going to sack you all - which is effectively what he's doing today," the MP for Pontypridd told the BBC.

He added: "I don't think he feels he can bring the party back together, that's why he's talking about re-selections because he is reconciled, he is fatalistic about the prospect of the party splitting apart and being destroyed. He just wants to control the Labour Party," declared Mr Smith.

However, Mr Corbyn’s camp made clear all the party leader was doing was setting out the existing rules and the leader himself stressed how it was the National Executive Committee, which controlled decisions about candidate selection.

Yet the current rules state that selections following boundary changes are only open to currently sitting MPs.

At his launch, Mr Corbyn said his leadership would focus on tackling the “five ills of the 21st century”; inequality, neglect, insecurity, prejudice and discrimination.

Emphasising his commitment to tackle workplace discrimination, he said that if he became Prime Minister, he would ensure all companies employing more than 21 staff would have to publish information about the pay, hours and grade of every job.

Answering questions afterwards, the Labour leader offered the “hand of friendship” to his rebellious MPs and suggested they had a “duty” and “responsibility” to unite behind the leader once the contest was over in September.

Mr Corbyn is favourite to win the postal ballot of Labour's members; the result will be known on September 24. It was suggested that the 183,000 people who paid £25 and signed up as registered supporters were split 60/40 in his favour.

Earlier, the leader’s close ally, Diane Abbott made derogatory remarks about Mr Smith’s past, saying: “I don't believe that someone whose history is having been a special adviser and a pharmaceutical company lobbyist is going to enthuse the base.”

Meantime, Labour MP Angela Eagle, who challenged Mr Corbyn for the leadership but then pulled out to allow Mr Smith to be the sole challenger, has, on police advice, cancelled her surgeries in her Merseyside constituency as a result of abuse directed at her.