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British Labour MP Jess Phillips confirms leadership bid

British Labour MP Jess Phillips has announced she will stand in her party's upcoming leadership c...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

20.11 3 Jan 2020


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British Labour MP Jess Phillip...

British Labour MP Jess Phillips confirms leadership bid

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

20.11 3 Jan 2020


Share this article


British Labour MP Jess Phillips has announced she will stand in her party's upcoming leadership contest.

She becomes the third MP to officially enter the race - although several others are expected to announce their own bids in the coming days and weeks.

Candidates will be vying to replace Jeremy Corbyn, who confirmed he would be standing down following his party's poor showing in last month's British general election.

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Ms Phillips has been an MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, and has become known as one of the party's outspoken internal critics of Mr Corbyn's leadership.

Announcing her campaign on social media, Ms Phillips - who has yet to hold a senior 'shadow cabinet' position in the party - said: "Politics needs honest voices.

"Only when we are honest again, with ourselves & with the country, will we become the people who get to make the decisions."

She joins Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis, two MPs and shadow cabinet ministers who have already launched their own bids.

However, more than a half dozen other candidates have also expressed their interest in running for party leader.

Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey, two candidates seen as frontrunners in the race, have yet to formally confirm their leadership bids - although have publicly expressed interest.

A YouGov poll this week showed Mr Starmer - the party's high-profile shadow Brexit secretary - with a comfortable lead over the other likely candidates.

The poll shows Ms Long-Bailey - considered a member of the party's pro-Corbyn, left-wing faction - in second place, meaning a final round of voting would most likely see her facing off against Mr Starmer.

Labour officials are expected to sign-off on the leadership election early this month.

Main image: File photo dated 11/5/2019 of Jess Phillips. Picture by: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/PA Images

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