Keir Starmer will call for greater powers for Scotland, Wales and the English regions within a “federal UK”, as he returns to the Labour leadership campaign trail.
The favourite to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party will propose that Britain’s archaic and confusing conventions are replaced with a written constitution that would set in stone a new devolution settlement.
That settlement would deliver a “radical redistribution of power, wealth and opportunity” to every corner of the UK, according to Sir Keir, arguing that the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown governments left the job half done.
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“The status quo is not working,” he will say in a speech in London, ahead of visits to Scotland, the northwest and Wales over the coming days.
“People are crying out for more control, power and say over their own lives and local communities. This can’t be delivered by tinkering around the edges or with short-term fixes.”
The proposal of a federal structure is one previously put forward by Mr Brown, although the idea dates back to Winston Churchill more than a century ago.
Sir Keir, who abandoned campaigning for four days after his mother-in-law suffered a serious accident, will not set out the details of the new structure, or of the powers to be devolved.
Instead, he will call for the UK to follow other developed nations by drawing up a new written constitution, which would be devised by the “great and good” in a constitutional convention.
The idea is partly aimed at heading off the increasing possibility of Scottish independence after Brexit, but also at recognising the desire of people across the UK for greater control of their lives, previously displayed in the vote to leave the EU.
1/10 Keir Starmer
The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has announced that he is standing for the leadership. He is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the party’s eventual backing of a second referendum.
Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer – conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Launching his bid, Starmer said that Labour must listen to the public on how to change “restore trust in our party as a force for good.”
A YouGov poll places him comfortably in the lead as the preferred candidate of 36% of party members
EPA
2/10 Rebecca Long Bailey
A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a “proud socialist”. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime minister’s questions and during the general election debates.
The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop.
Launching her leadership bid, Long Bailey said the party needs to make the positive case for immigration as a “positive force.” She also broke with Corbyn over Trident, saying “If you have a deterrent you have to be prepared to use it.”
PA
3/10 Lisa Nandy
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has announced she wil stand for the leadership. In a letter to the Wigan Post she said she wanted to bring Labour “home” to voters in its traditional strongholds who have abandoned the party. Nandy went on to say that she understands “that we have one chance to win back the trust of people in Wigan, Workington and Wrexham.” A YouGov poll shows that Nandy is the first preference for 6% of partymembers.
Getty
4/10 Emily Thornberry
Corbyn’s constituency neighbour and friend, Emily Thornberry, has been critical of the party’s Brexit stance, but has remained loyal to the leadership and has represented the Labour Party on various overseas visits.
The 59-year-old was brought up on a council estate near Guildford in Surrey by her mother when her father, a human rights lawyer and academic, walked out on his family. “I was born into the Labour Party,” she once said. “I was delivering leaflets by the age I could reach the letter box.”
First elected as MP for Islington South in 2005, the shadow foreign secretary has launched her bid for the leadership, but the party may be looking for a leadership outside its London stronghold.
After winning back her seat in same venue as Corbyn, she said: “We may be hurting tonight but we are not beaten. We will tell Boris Johnson no our fight is not over, our fight is just starting.”
Reuters
5/10 Angela Rayner – Deputy leadership
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has joined the contest for deputy leadership of the party. After ruling herself out of running for the leadership, the Ashton-under-Lynne MP launched her bid for deputy warning that Labour faces the “biggest challenge” in its history and must “win or die.” She is close with leadership contender Rebecca Long Bailey
PA
6/10 Rosena Allin-Khan – Deputy leadership
Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan said Labour need to listen with “humility” to lost voters as she launched her bid for the deputy leadership. Writing in The Independent, the MP for Tooting refelcted: “We shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs in Scotland, and now we’ve paid the price in northern England, across the midlands and in Wales.”
PA
7/10 Dawn Butler – Deputy leadership
Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler was first to announce her bid for the deputy leadership. The Brent Central MP has served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet since 2016
PA
8/10 Ian Murray – Deputy leadership
Labour’s only MP in Scotland said that the architects of the party’s “catastrophic failure” in the December election can not be allowed to lead the party forward
PA
9/10 Khalid Mahmood – Deputy leadership
Shadow foreign minister Mahmood said living in the West Midlands puts him in the ideal place to win back lost voters as he launched his bid for the deputy leadership. “I’m not part of the metropolitan elite but in Birmingham, the workshop of Britain. I want to rebuild our country and the Labour Party.”
PA
10/10 Richard Burgon – Deputy leadership
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is standing as a continuity candidate, flaunting his loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and saying it is wrong to blame the current leader for the election defeat
PA
1/10 Keir Starmer
The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has announced that he is standing for the leadership. He is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the party’s eventual backing of a second referendum.
Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer – conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Launching his bid, Starmer said that Labour must listen to the public on how to change “restore trust in our party as a force for good.”
A YouGov poll places him comfortably in the lead as the preferred candidate of 36% of party members
EPA
2/10 Rebecca Long Bailey
A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a “proud socialist”. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime minister’s questions and during the general election debates.
The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop.
Launching her leadership bid, Long Bailey said the party needs to make the positive case for immigration as a “positive force.” She also broke with Corbyn over Trident, saying “If you have a deterrent you have to be prepared to use it.”
PA
3/10 Lisa Nandy
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has announced she wil stand for the leadership. In a letter to the Wigan Post she said she wanted to bring Labour “home” to voters in its traditional strongholds who have abandoned the party. Nandy went on to say that she understands “that we have one chance to win back the trust of people in Wigan, Workington and Wrexham.” A YouGov poll shows that Nandy is the first preference for 6% of partymembers.
Getty
4/10 Emily Thornberry
Corbyn’s constituency neighbour and friend, Emily Thornberry, has been critical of the party’s Brexit stance, but has remained loyal to the leadership and has represented the Labour Party on various overseas visits.
The 59-year-old was brought up on a council estate near Guildford in Surrey by her mother when her father, a human rights lawyer and academic, walked out on his family. “I was born into the Labour Party,” she once said. “I was delivering leaflets by the age I could reach the letter box.”
First elected as MP for Islington South in 2005, the shadow foreign secretary has launched her bid for the leadership, but the party may be looking for a leadership outside its London stronghold.
After winning back her seat in same venue as Corbyn, she said: “We may be hurting tonight but we are not beaten. We will tell Boris Johnson no our fight is not over, our fight is just starting.”
Reuters
5/10 Angela Rayner – Deputy leadership
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has joined the contest for deputy leadership of the party. After ruling herself out of running for the leadership, the Ashton-under-Lynne MP launched her bid for deputy warning that Labour faces the “biggest challenge” in its history and must “win or die.” She is close with leadership contender Rebecca Long Bailey
PA
6/10 Rosena Allin-Khan – Deputy leadership
Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan said Labour need to listen with “humility” to lost voters as she launched her bid for the deputy leadership. Writing in The Independent, the MP for Tooting refelcted: “We shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs in Scotland, and now we’ve paid the price in northern England, across the midlands and in Wales.”
PA
7/10 Dawn Butler – Deputy leadership
Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler was first to announce her bid for the deputy leadership. The Brent Central MP has served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet since 2016
PA
8/10 Ian Murray – Deputy leadership
Labour’s only MP in Scotland said that the architects of the party’s “catastrophic failure” in the December election can not be allowed to lead the party forward
PA
9/10 Khalid Mahmood – Deputy leadership
Shadow foreign minister Mahmood said living in the West Midlands puts him in the ideal place to win back lost voters as he launched his bid for the deputy leadership. “I’m not part of the metropolitan elite but in Birmingham, the workshop of Britain. I want to rebuild our country and the Labour Party.”
PA
10/10 Richard Burgon – Deputy leadership
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is standing as a continuity candidate, flaunting his loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and saying it is wrong to blame the current leader for the election defeat
PA
“We need to end the monopoly of power in Westminster and spread it across every town, city, region and nation of the United Kingdom,” the shadow Brexit secretary will say.
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“This will involve building a new long-term political and constitutional consensus. I believe that could best be built on the principle of federalism.”
The second leadership hustings went ahead in Nottingham, where Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry were quizzed by Labour activists.
All three candidates spoke up for an open immigration system, with Ms Nandy backing free movement and Ms Long-Bailey dismissing claims that migrants depress wages.
Ms Long-Bailey said it was right to “look at proportional systems of voting”, while Ms Nandy called for trials of proportional representation “in areas where it doesn’t automatically benefit” Labour.
Ms Thornberry was typically outspoken, saying: “I hate the SNP. They’re Tories wrapped up in nationalist clothing.”
And she argued that she was the candidate who never struggled to get on the airwaves, explaining: “I am clear, concise, strong … I don’t faff around.”
