First cabinet minister enters race to be next deputy Labour leader - as nominations open

Bridget Phillipson, the acquisition secretary, has go the archetypal furniture curate to denote their candidacy to win Angela Rayner arsenic the adjacent lawman person of the Labour Party.

In a connection connected Tuesday morning, the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South pledged to "unite our large enactment and present for moving people", and instrumentality connected "the dangers Reform poses our country".

She is the 2nd campaigner to state successful the contention aft left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy threw her chapeau successful the ringing connected Monday evening. It was triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner aft she admitted to Sky News that she had underpaid the taxes owed connected a spot adjacent Brighton.

Politics latest: Nominations to regenerate Rayner open

Announcing her candidacy arsenic nominations opened, Ms Phillipson said successful a statement: "I americium a arrogant working-class pistillate from the northbound east. I person travel from a single-parent household connected a pugnacious assembly street, each the mode to the cabinet, determined to present amended beingness chances for young radical increasing up successful our country.

"I've taken connected almighty vested interests successful the acquisition assemblage - and adjacent arsenic they threw everything astatine me, I person ne'er taken a backwards step. I volition bring that aforesaid determination to each conflict up of us. Because marque nary mistake: we are successful a fight. We each cognize the dangers Reform poses our country."

Ms Phillipson continued by saying that she has "shown we tin bushed [Reform UK person Nigel] Farage successful the north-east, portion staying existent to the Labour Party's values of equality, fairness and societal justice.

"With maine arsenic lawman person we volition bushed them close crossed the state and unite to present the accidental that moving radical crossed this large state deserve."

Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy announced her candidacy successful a connection connected X past night, and took a swipe astatine the party, saying: "I look guardant to explaining why, implicit the 3 abbreviated and undemocratic days we person to bash so."

The Clapham and Brixton Hill MP has been backed by erstwhile Corbynite Richard Burgon, who said she "would guarantee Labour members' voices are heard astatine the apical of our enactment - and not sidelined by yet much stitch-ups".

The 2 candidates - and immoderate others that state - person until Thursday to stitchery the enactment of astatine slightest 80 of their chap Labour MPs successful bid to proceed to the adjacent signifier of the contest.