Labour leadership: All the OFFICIAL candidates who could replace Jeremy Corbyn
THE LABOUR leadership race is finally taking shape, as several candidates have now officially declared themselves from a pool of potential Jeremy Corbyn replacements. Which candidates are officially running for Labour leader?
Lisa Nandy announces candidacy for Labour Party leadership
Labour will receive a new leader in 2020, following Jeremy Corbyn’s announcement he would stand down after a disastrous December election for the party. Political pundits have identified a selection of potential candidates who could take over this year, but few have officially declared their intention to run.
Emily Thornberry
The Shadow Foreign Secretary and MP for Islington South and Finsbury was the first to declare her official interest in becoming Labour’s next leader in December.
Ms Thornberry, 56, claims she is the best option for taking on Boris Johnson, and came out swinging against the Prime Minister.
She warned Labour taking a “neutral” stance against Brexit was a bad idea before the election and released her foreign policy intentions on New Year’s Day.
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Clive Lewis
Clive Lewis followed Emily Thornberry in announcing his candidacy last year.
Much like Jeremy Corbyn, the Shadow Treasury Secretary is a left-leaning candidate, hoping to retain votes from some of the party’s Corbynite members.
He is championing the benefits of diversity in the UK, and strives for “a vision of a country that is inclusive and tolerant, that listens to the needs of its local communities and believes in building bridges between them.”
Lisa Nandy
Lisa Nandy, the outspoken MP for leave-voting Wigan, is the most recent Labour member to make an official bid for leadership.
She announced her intentions earlier today (January 4) in a letter to the Wigan Post, where she declared her intentions to “bring Labour home”.
The former Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change hopes to bring back votes from Labour’s lost heartlands, and chime with alienated leave voters.
She highlighted the need for a different approach and said it was time for a “different sort of leadership”.
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Jess Phillips
Jess Phillips announced her candidacy on the same day as Lisa Nandy, known for a rousing speech in Parliament last year during a time of high toxicity in Commons.
The outspoken MP for Birmingham Yardley said Labour must strive to be “clear and straightforward” before it can reclaim power.
She hopes to win back the support from working-class voters if she becomes leader.
Who could declare their candidacy next?
While just four potential candidates have officially come forward, several senior Labour Party members are yet to declare their interests.
Currently, the top favourite to become leader is Sir Kier Starmer, Shadow Brexit Secretary, who is on odds of 4/5 to take the position.
Close behind him is Rebecca Long-Bailey, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, who is on odds of 4/1 to become Labour’s first female leader.