"It's about time the party was led by a woman": Wansbeck MP will not stand in Labour race
Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery has confirmed he will not stand in the Labour leadership contest.
Despite weeks of speculation as to who would replace Jeremy Corbyn, Lavery has now confirmed he will join Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy and Clive Lewis in the race.
The Labour Party chairman is now supporting the shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey.
In a statement on social media, Lavery said the MP for Salford and Eccles was "the best person to lead our party", with the "intellect, drive and determination" to move the party forward. He also insisted "it's about time the Labour Party was led by a woman."
Mr Lavery, who has represented Wansbeck since 2010, narrowly avoided losing his seat in December's general election.
A former miner, he was elected president of the National Union of Mineworkers in 2002 and comes from the left of the party. After last month's defeat, he warned against a return to "bland centrism" and urged colleagues to "stop reinforcing press attacks on our own party."
In 2015, he was one of 16 signatories of an open letter to the then Labour leader Ed Miliband, calling on the party to oppose further government cuts and renationalise parts of the railway.
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