Labour ruling body release timetable for leadership battle to replace Corbyn

Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee has released the campaign timetable for the election of Jeremy Corbyn’s successor.

Nominations from MPs and MEPs will have to be in before 13th January, before voting gets underway from 21st February.

The result will be revealed on 4th April.

Leadership timetable

A Labour party spokesperson has confirmed the following timetable:

7-13 Jan – nominations from MPs and MEPs

14-16 Jan – registered supporters can join

15 Jan-14 Feb – CLPs (local parties) & unions can nominate

20 Feb – Freeze date for new new members

21 Feb-2 April – voting

4 April – result

Candidates so far

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner launched her candidacy for deputy leader in Stockport today.

It has been anticipated she will support her friend and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey for leader.

Confirmed candidates include:

• Clive Lewis – shadow Treasury minister who says he wants to “unleash” the Labour movement to win its first general election since 2005.
• Lisa Nandy – a former shadow cabinet minister, who said that the successor to Mr Corbyn must be someone with “skin in the game” and called for the rejection of “the paternalism of the past”.
• Jess Phillips – Birmingham Yardley MP, who has stressed the need for the Prime Minister to be challenged with “passion, heart and precision”.
• Emily Thornberry – The shadow foreign secretary, who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
• Sir Keir Starmer – The shadow Brexit secretary, who is the current favourite to take the reins according to a recent YouGov poll of Labour members.

A party spokeswoman said: “We are by far the largest political party in the UK with well over half a million members.

“We want as many of our members and supporters to take part, so it has been designed to be open, fair and democratic.”

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