Right from the start, Jamie Reed nailed his colours firmly to the anti-Corbyn mast.

Previously shadow health minister, the Copeland MP resigned his position as soon as Jeremy Corbyn was named Labour party leader.

He has since called for him to stand down, accusing him of dividing MPs and injecting “an unprecedented poison into our party”.

Mr Reed has continued to be vocal throughout the latest leadership campaign, backing Owen Smith as the man to lead Labour back into government.

It has been a bitter fight and led many analysts to question the future of a party with such obvious divisions.

Yet with the result due to be announced on Saturday, ahead of the party conference in Liverpool, Mr Reed – who accepts that it is looking ever more likely Corbyn could be reelected – is ruling out any suggestions that the party could split.

“The notion of a split is nonsense. The Labour Party isn’t going to split,” he says.

And with him predicting Theresa May could call a general election before the end of the year, he adds that whatever happens the party needs to unite once the result is announced.

He believes May – who many argue has not been democratically elected as Prime Minister – will learn from Gordon Brown’s mistake and call an early election.

“I would not be surprised if she called one on the back of the conference season and I’d be very surprised if she went past May next year,” he suggests.

As a result, he says the party will have to come together for the sake of the electorate.

“People who need a Labour government are far more interested in what affects their lives.

“They want it to be unified, to come together and take the fight to the Government,” he explains.

So why is he so anti-Corbyn? Mr Reed says it is nothing to do with personalities, but about his ability to get the party back into government – saying that is why the vote of no confidence was carried.

He accepts that Corbyn has a strong support, and that he has offered an alternative to disillusioned voters.

But Mr Reed does not believe that even in the midst of a changing political backdrop after Brexit, Corbyn really appeals to the majority of Labour voters.

His differences range from their views of Trident to their approach, with Mr Reed critical of Corbyn’s placard-waving style.

Mr Reed, who is from a strong west Cumbrian political family and has been brought up a traditional working class Labour supporter, says ultimately they come from different backgrounds – with his own personal motivation being much closer to home.

“He has an awful lot of support. On a personal level I don’t have any issues with him. We come from different Labour traditions,” he explains.

“People like me are called moderates but there is nothing moderate about us. I am really passionate about getting into government to get the change communities like ours seek.”

Mr Reed also denies there was a conscious decision to try and get rid of Corbyn.

“It wasn’t really a fight that we picked. People talk about a coup but there wasn’t a coup. It was almost an organic process. Everyone saw the campaign that Jeremy barely fought,” he explains.

Yet despite his criticism, he doesn’t blame the current problems within the party on Corbyn or his supporters.

Instead he blames Ed Milliband for unsuccessfully trying to redefine the Labour Party, changing the rules on membership, and ultimately laying the foundations for someone like Corbyn, from the party’s far left, to step forward.

There was also a bitter taste left over from the Iraq war.

However, long term, he believes the party has a strong future. He would not go on record with his own preferred choice for eventual leader – partly because he fears his support at the current time may harm their ambitions – but says there is a lot of talent within Labour.

However he firmly rules himself out of ever standing as leader. “I was asked in 2010 and I was approached about it again this time.

“But it’s something I’m just not interested in. It’s not part of my life plan.

“I’m a father of four in the most remote electoral constituency from Westminster. Perhaps that’s exactly the reason someone like me should, but my passion has always been this area – helping west Cumbria to realise its potential,” he adds.