Emily Thornberry
The shadow foreign secretary has been faultlessly loyal to Jeremy Corbyn, despite not being as left-wing, and believes as a “girly swot” she is good at taking on Boris Johnson. In her acceptance speech in Islington South and Finsbury, she said: “The real fight has to begin now.”
Keir Starmer
The ferociously ambitious former director of public prosecutions has led the charge for remain in the shadow cabinet. He has held his Holborn and St Pancras seat since 2015 and been instrumental in shifting Labour’s position towards backing a second Brexit referendum.
Rebecca Long-Bailey
A close ally of the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, Long-Bailey has been groomed as a potential leftwing contender for the top job, who launched a slick video about her backstory during the campaign. The Salford MP and shadow business secretary performed well as a stand-in for Corbyn in leadership debates.
Angela Rayner
The shadow education secretary, a close friend of Long-Bailey’s, said in recent days she would like to support a Labour Brexit deal. She is regarded as a powerful public speaker and some senior Conservatives say they would fear her as an adversary.
Jess Phillips
The MP for Birmingham Yardley is a strong media performer who has built up a significant public profile from the backbenches. Corbyn-supporting Labour members are likely to be deeply suspicious of her, but she will argue that she can take on Johnson.
Lisa Nandy
The Wigan MP has built a reputation as a campaigner for her constituency and others like it, many of which have fallen to the Tories. She helped to create the Centre for Towns thinktank, and called for compromise over Brexit. She might be regarded by some as a compromise, soft-left candidate.
