JEREMY CORBYN could win the Labour leadership if union reps sign up their workplace colleagues as affiliated supporters, a Unison fringe meeting heard last night.

The rally followed a standout performance from Mr Corbyn in the first televised hustings for Labour’s top job on Wednesday night.

The left-wing MP, who writes a weekly column for the Star, won applause from audience members in the marginal Nuneaton constituency with attacks on “the promotion of markets rather than the planned economy” and Tony Blair’s “illegal war” in Iraq.

He was greeted with further cheers at the Newsnight debate when he took on an audience member who complained about immigration. “If there hadn’t been immigration to this country, what kind of health service would we have, what kind of transport system would we have, what kind of education system would we have?” he asked.

The Unison4Corbyn fringe meeting, held at the Scottish TUC in Glasgow, came as it emerged that the union leadership currently favours not making an official nomination for the Labour leadership.

A source told the Star: “[General secretary] Dave Prentis is pushing for us not to nominate anyone.”

A Unison spokeswoman said a decision would not be taken until after the Unison LabourLink conference in Manchester on July 3 and 4.

“It may be that we choose not to endorse any of the candidates, working on the basis that individuals are able to make up their own minds, as has been the case in the London mayoral selection,” she said.

Speakers at the rally included Unison assistant general secretary Roger McKenzie, who has praised Mr Corbyn’s entry into the contest as a welcome widening of the debate.

Unison4Corbyn organiser Marshajane Thompson said: “Jeremy has supported Unison members on picket lines, he’s sent a message of support to the striking homelessness rally tonight.

“He’s fighting for our policies and we should offer him support back.”

Leadership rivals Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall used the hustings to say they would make it easier for MPs to get rid of a failing leader.

The BBC faced criticism of partiality on the night. Commenting on how the candidates were introduced, Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire tweeted: “Why say Corbyn is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group but not Kendall is in Progress?”