Jeremy Corbyn does not have the right to "take the party down" with him, the former acting leader of the Labour Party has said.

Harriet Harman, who is also the former deputy leader of the party, said that without the support of MPs Corbyn did not have "the right to carry on come what may".

Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, she said: "If you win that leadership that doesn't give you the right to fail. It gives you the privilege of having the chance to try and lead the party.

"But if you fail, you can't take the party down with you. That's not fair."

Harman added that any attempt by the beleaguered Labour leader to take legal action if he is not automatically on the ballot of a leadership contest would heap "more dysfunction" on the party.

She said: "The idea that the leader of the party, having lost the confidence of Labour MPs, then takes the national executive of the party to court is just more dysfunction upon more dysfunction and the party is suffering."

It comes as Labour's general secretary Iain McNicol confirmed he had "sufficient nominations" to trigger a leadership contest, after Angela Eagle officially launched her challenge to Corbyn earlier on Monday.

Corbyn and his allies say that the Labour rulebook means he will automatically be on the ballot in any leadership contest, but his opponents argue the rules mean he needs the backing of 51 MPs or MEPs to stand.

A meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee will need to determine arrangements for a leadership election and resolve the pivotal question of whether or not Corbyn requires parliamentary support to run.

Harriet Harman was acting leader of the Labour Party after Gordon Brown resigned in 2010 and also after Ed Miliband resigned in 2015.