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Labour leadership: Unite union deciding who to back Labour leadership: Unite endorses Rebecca Long-Bailey
(about 5 hours later)
The Unite union are meeting to decide who to back as the next leader and deputy leader of the Labour Party. Rebecca Long-Bailey has won the backing of the Unite trade union in her bid to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.
Candidates need support from two unions and an affiliate group to make it onto the final ballot if they cannot secure backing from 5% of local parties. The shadow business secretary now needs just one more union or affiliate group to endorse her to confirm her place on the members' ballot.
Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, has been a vocal supporter of Jeremy Corbyn during his tenure. Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, said Mrs Long-Bailey had the "brains and the brilliance" to take on PM Boris Johnson.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, he praised the outgoing leader, saying he had "changed British politics forever". The union will also back Richard Burgon for the vacant deputy leader post.
But he said he was "looking forward to a good debate" with his union's executive and there were "some excellent candidates" to choose from. Speaking after a meeting in London, Mr McCluskey said his union would make a "substantial" donation towards Mrs Long-Bailey's campaign.
He dismissed speculation the union would automatically support shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, saying: "I won't be making any recommendation to executive. I genuinely want to wait to see what the mood is, what they are saying." The union, which was Labour's biggest financial backer during last month's election, had been widely expected to back her pitch for the top job.
The decision is expected to be announced at about 18:00 GMT. After receiving the nomination, Mrs Long-Bailey said she was "honoured" to receive the union's backing.
There are four MPs still in the running for the leadership - Mrs Long-Bailey, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry. "I didn't see myself as the kind of person who could ever become an MP. It was Unite, my trade union, that supported me to realise my potential," she added.
Both Sir Keir and Ms Nandy have already made it onto the ballot - he has the support of Unison, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) and the Socialist Environmental and Resources Association (Sera), while she has backing from the GMB union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Chinese for Labour. Mr McCluskey said Unite's executive committee had concluded Mrs Long-Bailey was "best placed to take the fight to the Tory party" on behalf of its members.
Mrs Long-Bailey and Ms Thornberry have yet to secure the backing they need. "She is standing for unity, socialism and the determination to make Johnson's term in office short-lived," he added.
Each candidate has been invited to make their pitch to Unite before the committee makes its decision. He added that the union was confident that Mr Burgon would make a "superb deputy" for the party.
Speaking as she left the union's offices, Ms Nandy said her meeting had been "great [and] lovely", and had left her "with a lot of hope about the future of the Labour movement". In an apparent swipe at former deputy leader Tom Watson, he said Mr Burgon would display "the qualities that have long been absent from that post," including "pride in our values" and "loyalty to their leader".
She added: "I guess it's up to them now. Let's see." Mr Watson was often at odds with the leadership during his time in the role, and faced an attempt to oust him at Labour's conference last year.
Ms Thornberry described her meeting with the union as "lively", with a "frank and open" exchange of views. To make the ballot, hopefuls need the support of three unions and affiliate groups representing 5% of the membership, or 33 local branches.
"They said what they had to say, we were forthright and honest with each other, so let's see what happens." Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy have already secured this level of support ahead of the 14 February deadline.
The leadership contest at the moment looks like a three horse race. Having already been nominated by bakers' union BFAWU, Unite's support for Ms Long-Bailey means she needs just one more union or affiliate to join them.
Sir Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy already have enough backing from unions and Labour's affiliates to go to the full ballot of members, which starts next month. However the fourth leadership contender, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, is yet to receive any union or affiliate backing and has only secured endorsements from three local branches so far.
And Rebecca Long-Bailey will eventually join them. Leader hustings cancelled
It's expected left-wing support on the Unite executive will be enough to win her the union's backing today, putting her within touching distance of the final ballot.
But Emily Thornberry is struggling, and her hopes look set to rest on winning enough backing from local parties.
She'll need 33 to support her - not impossible but a big ask, given that she only has three behind her at the moment.
Sir Keir has cancelled all campaign events this weekend after his mother-in-law was involved in a serious accident. She remains critically ill in hospital.Sir Keir has cancelled all campaign events this weekend after his mother-in-law was involved in a serious accident. She remains critically ill in hospital.
He has sent Labour's Chris Matheson to the Unite meeting in his place. The Chester MP said he trusted the Unite executive to "do this fairly", "listen to all the evidence" and "make the decision they think is right for their members". He sent Labour's Chris Matheson to the Unite meeting in his place.
Mr Matheson said Sir Keir had helped him prepare, and he hoped to convey the candidate's "trade union values".
Labour's general secretary, Jennie Formby, also confirmed the hustings due to take place in Leeds between the leadership candidates on Saturday would be cancelled, although the deputy leadership event would go ahead.Labour's general secretary, Jennie Formby, also confirmed the hustings due to take place in Leeds between the leadership candidates on Saturday would be cancelled, although the deputy leadership event would go ahead.
She added: "We have sent our very best wishes and solidarity to Keir and his family, and our hope that his mother-in-law recovers very soon."She added: "We have sent our very best wishes and solidarity to Keir and his family, and our hope that his mother-in-law recovers very soon."
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner is the only candidate for the deputy leadership to have made it onto the ballot, with the support of Unison, the GMB, Usdaw and the NUM.Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner is the only candidate for the deputy leadership to have made it onto the ballot, with the support of Unison, the GMB, Usdaw and the NUM.
The others in the running are Scotland's only remaining Labour MP, Ian Murray, shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler, Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan and shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon. As well as Mr Burgon, the others in the running are Scotland's only remaining Labour MP, Ian Murray, shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler, and Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan.
The deadline for all the candidates to get the support of either unions/affiliate groups or local parties is 14 February.
The new leader and deputy will then be announced on 4 April.The new leader and deputy will then be announced on 4 April.