Corbyn faces coup but has support on the street

Jeremy Corbyn was defiant as he arrived to talk to supporters in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday. Photo / AP

Corbyn supporters are upset at the moves to oust the Labour leader.

Thousands of Jeremy Corbyn supporters protested outside Britain's outside the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday as Labour MPs tried to get rid of their leader.

As many as 150 MPs were expected to vote to oust Corbyn, who has been hit by dozens of resignations.

The Labour leader faced heckles of "resign" from his own MPs as he attempted to face down the coup in the House of Commons by claiming rebels were being unpatriotic for challenging him.

Later in a heated private meeting with MPs, backbenchers mocked him as he attempted to claim he can win a general election.

The row spilled out into the corridors as MPs and Corbyn's aides challenged each other over their behaviour in recent days.

Corbyn has been told by Tom Watson, the Labour deputy leader, that he has lost the support of his MPs and should prepare for a leadership contest.

Yet the Labour leader remained defiant, with aides insisting he would not be toppled by the "corridor coup" and challenging rivals to beat him in a formal leadership contest.

Momentum, the pro-Corbyn activist group, gathered thousands of supporters to Parliament Square as a show of support for the Labour leader.