UK Labour Party nominates 5 contenders for new leader

LONDON (AA) – Britain’s Labour Party announced Monday that five MPs will vie as candidates for its leadership.

Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips will compete in the leadership race after having met the threshold of securing nominations from at least 22 fellow MPs.

Starmer received the most backing among MPs in the nomination round, making him the favorite candidate to become the new Labour leader.

All five contenders will need nominations from at least 33 constituency Labour parties or three affiliates. Two of those affiliates should be trade unions, and this final shortlist will see voting from party members, trade union members, affiliated societies and registered supporters.

Jeremy Corbyn, who has been Labour leader since 2015, said he will step down after the party suffered its worst election result in nearly a century in December's U.K. election.

Those who win the required backing will be put to a postal vote of the party’s half-million members and registered supporters between Feb. 21 and April 2, and the new leader will be announced on April 4.