Labour MP Jess Phillips set to announce leadership bid

3 January 2020, 12:13

Jess Phillips is understood to be preparing her Labour leadership bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn.

The Birmingham Yardley MP is getting ready to launch her campaign on Friday, with the process of selecting Mr Corbyn's successor officially starting next week.

Ms Phillips had been tipped to throw her hat into the ring for the Labour top job and had already hinted at entering the race, calling for her party to "try something different."

The prominent backbencher will join shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and shadow treasury minister Clive Lewis as those to have formally announced their candidacies.

Others expected to declare bids soon are shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer - the favourite for the role - close Corbyn ally Rebecca Long-Bailey and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy.

The 38-year-old politician, who supported victims of domestic abuse for Women's Aid before entering Parliament in 2015, would be a popular choice among current Labour members, according to a recent YouGov survey.

She placed third in the poll, behind Sir Keir (who obtained 61 per cent of the vote) and Ms Long Bailey (who obtained 39 per cent).