Ed Miliband has dismissed claims of unrest about his leadership among Labour backbenchers, describing them as "nonsense".
MPs are understood to be increasingly disgruntled with Mr Miliband's performance with the General Election campaign just around the corner and there have been claims a letter is being circulated calling for him to go.
But speaking during a visit to Northamptonshire, the Labour leader told the BBC: "Honestly, this is nonsense.
"We remain focused on this country and how we can make this country work again."
It comes after shadow chancellor Ed Balls insisted the party is united behind Mr Miliband's leadership.
At the weekend a YouGov poll put Mr Miliband at an all-time low in the popularity stakes - behind even Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.
On Wednesday he carried out a mini reshuffle, taking advantage of a vacancy created by Jim Murphy quitting the shadow cabinet to stand for Scottish Labour leader to freshen up his team.
The Labour-supporting New Statesman magazine earlier wrote that he was out of touch with ordinary voters.
However, Mr Balls denied a Labour rift and said it was the Conservatives who had been riven by dissent.
He said: "All I know is that everybody in the Labour Party, from Ed Miliband down, is focused on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, building an economy which works for working people, reforming Europe but not walking away, having tough and fair controls on immigration, saving our National Health Service - that's what Labour's for.
"It's the Conservative Party which are riven and divided and defecting left, right and centre. We will focus on Tory division, Labour will stay united."
Another Labour source told Sky News: "We have spent four years being united as a party in a determination to be a one-term opposition.
"We're not going to be distracted by noises-off now."
Another added: "I think the leadership challenge stuff is b*******, mainly because there's not a candidate who would be willing to do it."
Mr Miliband's approval ratings have dropped ever since he was elected leader in September 2010.
There have been occasional bounces, including the energy price freeze announcement at the party conference in 2013, but his ratings were still minus 30 then and it was downhill from there.
Among the notable lows was the "bacon sandwich moment" - when unflattering pictures of him eating were published during the local and European election campaign in May.
Following what has been widely viewed as a disastrous party conference speech in September, during which he forgot to mention the deficit, backbenchers have become more disillusioned with his leadership.
And there was further bad news for Mr Miliband as a recording emerged of shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith saying the party is "dying" and "needs to be much bolder".
The remarks were made during a fringe event at a conference organised by CLASS - a left-wing think tank.
A Labour spokesperson said: "Anyone who was at the event would know that this comment was a humorous dig at the age of the people attending the fringe meeting and not a comment on the Labour movement. It is ludicrous to twist it in this fashion."
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