Labour favourites
Potential leadership contenders and their odds
ANDY BURNHAM
A prominent New Labour figure and a member of Gordon Brown’s cabinet, Mr Burnham is serving a second term as mayor of Greater Manchester. Not currently an MP, he has insisted he will stay in the post until May 2024, but did not rule out running for the party leadership after that point. He was defeated in the 2010 and 2015 leadership elections. He accused Boris Johnson of treating northerners as “second-class citizens” during the pandemic.
LISA NANDY
Held the post of shadow foreign secretary for much of Sir Keir’s leadership before her demotion to the role of shadow levelling up, housing and communities secretary in last November’s reshuffle. Ms Nandy came third behind Sir Keir Starmer and Rebecca Longbailey in the 2020 leadership race. Her campaign had warned that Labour must “change or die”, focusing on the needs of disillusioned heartlands communities.
WES STREETING
Widely regarded as holding Blairite political views, Mr Streeting has impressed the Labour Right with his straighttalking broadcast media performances. Some have touted him as a successor to Sir Keir. He is currently shadow health secretary having previously held child poverty and schools posts.
A former president of the National Union of Students, he campaigned for a “People’s Vote” on Brexit and nominated Jess Phillips at the last Labour leadership election.
ANGELA RAYNER
Assumed her current role as deputy Labour leader in April 2020 after spending almost four years as shadow education secretary under Jeremy Corbyn. Her outspoken approach has attracted praise but also condemnation – she was rebuked by Sir Keir for branding Tories “scum”, for which she later apologised. There have also been reports of strained relations between Ms Rayner and Sir Keir.
SADIQ KHAN
Seen as one of the stalwarts of Labour’s soft Left, Mr Khan became Mayor of London in 2016 and is serving a second term after his re-election last year. He was previously the MP for Tooting between 2005 and 2016, and served as a transport minister and shadow justice secretary under Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband respectively. Mr Khan has prioritised housing, active travel and climate change during his mayoralty, but has been criticised for an increase in violent crime.