This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/21/speculation-mounts-that-jess-phillips-will-quit-labour-leadership-race

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Speculation mounts that Jess Phillips will quit Labour leadership race Jess Phillips set to quit Labour leadership race
(32 minutes later)
MPs backing Phillips are thought to be holding talks after which she will make statement Birmingham Yardley MP due to meet supporters before making formal announcement
The future of Jess Phillips’ Labour leadership campaign has been thrown into doubt after she pulled out of a union hustings. Jess Phillips is expected to quit the Labour leadership race, just two weeks into the election campaign.
MPs backing her are understood to be holding emergency talks in parliament at 2pm after which she was expected make a statement to supporters. The MP for Birmingham Yardley is due to meet with the MPs on her campaign team in Westminster on Tuesday afternoon before formally announcing to supporters she is not going to continue in the contest.
This has fuelled speculation that the representative for Birmingham Yardley is about to drop out of the race after failing to secure union and affiliate support in the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn. She described a public hustings on Saturday as “awful” and how she was battling against perceptions of someone who looks prime ministerial. Earlier in the day she pulled out of a hustings held by the GMB union.
Labour leadership candidates were all invited to attend a hustings held by the GMB union in a bid to gain their support. The other four candidates, Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy, all attended. Phillips has also failed to secure union and affiliate support in the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn.
The Labour leadership candidates were all invited to attend a hustings held by the GMB in a bid to gain their support. The other four candidates - Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy – all attended.
Aides said her absence from the GMB event was due to an unavoidable appointment elsewhere, but she acknowledged on Monday it would be a “bold roll of the dice” for Labour members to elect her as leader.Aides said her absence from the GMB event was due to an unavoidable appointment elsewhere, but she acknowledged on Monday it would be a “bold roll of the dice” for Labour members to elect her as leader.
Phillips described how the first hustings she took part in on Saturday in Liverpool were “awful” and she would abandon attempts to appear statesmanlike because she felt she had not been “real”.Phillips described how the first hustings she took part in on Saturday in Liverpool were “awful” and she would abandon attempts to appear statesmanlike because she felt she had not been “real”.
A source told the Guardian that when she spoke at a campaign event at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London on Monday night, they sensed there were problems with the campaign.A source told the Guardian that when she spoke at a campaign event at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London on Monday night, they sensed there were problems with the campaign.
“It felt like she was giving her own elegy. It was the sort of speech that Liz Kendall was giving in month three of the last leadership campaign but it’s week three,” he said.“It felt like she was giving her own elegy. It was the sort of speech that Liz Kendall was giving in month three of the last leadership campaign but it’s week three,” he said.
“I did wonder if something was up. She was saying the important thing was to go through it, so that people like me and people who sound like me can go for leader.”“I did wonder if something was up. She was saying the important thing was to go through it, so that people like me and people who sound like me can go for leader.”
Phillips scraped over the line to get the nominations needed to get to the second phase of the leadership debate with the backing of 23 MPs, including herself. She has been described as being on the right of the party by opponents.Phillips scraped over the line to get the nominations needed to get to the second phase of the leadership debate with the backing of 23 MPs, including herself. She has been described as being on the right of the party by opponents.
Among those who backed her were Wes Streeting, who is running her campaign, Liz Kendall, Margaret Hodge, Neil Coyle and Chris Bryant. Early polling had put her in third place behind Starmer and Long-Bailey.Among those who backed her were Wes Streeting, who is running her campaign, Liz Kendall, Margaret Hodge, Neil Coyle and Chris Bryant. Early polling had put her in third place behind Starmer and Long-Bailey.
Aides said her absence from the GMB event was due to an unavoidable appointment elsewhere, but Phillips is expected to make a statement on the status of her campaign on Tuesday afternoon. She acknowledged on Monday it would be a “bold roll of the dice” for Labour members to elect her as leader.