A GROUP of ten Torfaen County Borough Council members are among 1,000 Labour councillors who have signed a letter backing Owen Smith as the new party leader.

The Pontypridd MP will go head-to-head with divisive leader Jeremy Corbyn in a leadership contest next month.

And now a letter backing Mr Smith for the position has been signed by 1,000 party members, including 10 from Torfaen, eight from Newport, three from Monmouthshire and 23 from Caerphilly. No councillors from Blaenau Gwent have added their names.

The letter, published at labourlist.org, praised Mr Smith for his "tenacity and skill" in campaigning for working people.

"The stakes couldn’t be higher," it said.

"Our country faces an existential threat from nationalists and poor-bashing Tories.

"A new Scottish referendum is on the horizon. This is no time for Labour to keep fighting itself."

It added: "Our party needs a leader who can win and is principled.

"That’s why we need your support in backing Owen Smith."

Among those signing the letter was council member for Blaenavon Cllr Alan Jones, who described Mr Smith as “a hard-working, genuine, honest man who is best placed to lead our party against the Conservative government who are just doing what they want to do with absolutely no opposition from the Labour Group”.

“Owen, once elected, can build a very strong team to challenge this weakness and provide a foundation to win the next general election,” he said.

“Owen has convincingly made the case that he knows how to get things done and has the tenacity and skill to advance the cause of working people.

“He has not shied away from saying our party has been too timid and that he would increase taxes on the wealthy.”

Cllr Jones, who is also currently mayor of Blaenavon, also praised Mr Smith’s plans to re-nationalise the railways, set up a £200bn investment programme and require any decision to go to war to be voted on by MPs.

“Let's hope for the sake of the Labour Party that Owen does get elected as I fear very much how we can survive under Corbyn,” he said.

His Abersychan colleague Cllr Giles Davies also added his name, saying he believed Mr Smith had "consistently shown the ability to take on the Tories effectively."

"To change anything we need a Labour government," he said.

"Owen Smith offers credible, radical policies and will in my view be the strong leader we need to lead us to victory in the next general election."