Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the cabinet, the House of Commons and the parliamentary Labour party all meeting for the first time since the general election
At least two bookmakers have sent out press releases today about the odds they are offering on the next Labour leader, with Rebecca Long-Bailey the favourite, followed by Lisa Nandy and then Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary.
Starmer’s opponents, as well as criticising his stance on Brexit, have been arguing that the next leader should be a woman, as well as an MP from outside London.
I spent the last couple of months talking to folks on the doorstep in Darlington and getting very clear messages back, as you can imagine.
What people are saying is that they want a leader that they feel could be the prime minister.
Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, has been on BBC News this morning. There were two interesting lines in his interview.
The withdrawal agreement, if it is now countenancing the rights and protections which the previous agreement, which did get a majority in parliament contained within it, the protection for workers’ rights and the protections for the environment, given that [Boris Johnson] is now taking that out, is something that is less attractive to us as a party than even the one before.
I have not made any decision on that at all … It is speculation.