In August 2016, Nellist also endorsed Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. He responded to the letter backing Owen Smith's leadership challenge from over 500 Labour councillors by saying: "If Jeremy is re-elected he must use his renewed mandate to compel Labour councillors to either fight the Tories or stand aside for those who will – and TUSC will back him all the way." In November 2016, he was among 75 people expelled from the Labour Party who wrote to the party's National Executive Committee asking to be re-admitted. However, he is not eligible to rejoin while being affiliated to another political party.