Labour's election strategy blasted as a 'shambles' after just 500 people turn up for rally

Labour's election strategy was today described as a “shambles” after just 500 people turned out for a rally.

The Parliament Square protest, left, calling for an immediate election drew a much smaller crowd than expected, hours after Jeremy Corbyn was criticised for not immediately tabling a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson.

A senior party source said: “It’s not clear what’s going on. It’s a shambles. We could be facing an early election and Labour need to get on with the main task … we need some candidates.”

A backbench MP said: “What is the point of doing a rally just before recess … It’s very clear the only strategy is, ‘Let’s have a rally’. It was ill-considered.”

Labour gave its MPs two weeks in June to decide whether they wanted to fight the next election, but a source said there is concern that “we might be in a position where we haven’t even chosen all our candidates” by the autumn.

In today’s Standard, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson says Mr Corbyn “bottled” his chance of a no-confidence vote in the PM, who has a technical majority of two.

The party said it has been ready for a snap election since 2017, and that a no-confidence vote might backfire.