Hard-Left boost as Long-Bailey hits front in leadership poll

REBECCA Long-Bailey is in front in the race to become Labour leader, a shock poll revealed last night.

The survey put the hard-Left Corbynite ahead of Sir Keir Starmer, the moderate ex-director of public prosecutions.

Mrs Long-Bailey, Labour’s business spokesman, is the choice of leading figures such as John McDonnell and Diane Abbott. But she has had a slow start to her campaign while Sir Keir has the support of Britain’s largest union, Unison.

The survey by Survation and the Labour-List website of 3,835 party members between January 8 and 13 found that if the election took place today, Mrs Long-Bailey would win 42 per cent.

Labour Brexit spokesman Sir Keir would receive 37 per cent, Jess Phillips 9 per cent, Lisa Nandy 7 per cent and Emily Thornberry 1 per cent.

The five candidates have secured the necessary support from party MPs and MEPs but must now win trade union or constituency endorsement to make it on to the ballot paper. Voting then runs from February 21 to April 2.

If no one claims more than half the vote, second-choice votes are redistributed until a winner emerges.

The poll suggests that Mrs Long-Bailey would win narrowly.

In the deputy leadership race, Angela Rayner is far ahead with 60 per cent – enough to avoid a second round.

Richard Burgon, considered the Corbynite choice, comes second with 19 per cent of first preferences.

Yesterday, Sir Keir set out his vision to return the party to power by making the case for ‘moral socialism’. Highlighting his Left-wing credentials, he said the free-market economy had failed and had ‘fuelled gross inequality’.

Lisa Nandy set out her plan for the nation post-Brexit and called for no trade talks with Donald Trump if he quits the Paris climate accord.

‘Fuelled gross inequality’