With Labour lagging behind the Tories in the polls and the party divided over Brexit, there has been much speculation of late over Jeremy Corbyn’s future as Labour leader. While Clive Lewis is rumoured to be considering a leadership challenge, Corbyn appeared to pave the way for a more Corbyn-friendly successor yesterday when he appointed Rebecca Long-Bailey as shadow business secretary.
But while the PLP fret over Lewis and Long-Bailey, is there another able candidate who is being overlooked for the top job? Step forward, Richard Burgon. Word reaches Steerpike that a number of Labour MPs have been asked to support the shadow justice secretary as a possible future leader. ‘Currently it’s a groundswell of grassroots support,’ reports Mr S’s comrade.
Alas, given that this is the same blunder-prone Richard Burgon who failed to meet anyone in financial services while he was shadow City minister, and who accused his fellow MPs of ‘behaving like bullies’ during the Labour coup, Mr S suspects that Burgon would struggle to convince his colleagues to back him should he decide to take the plunge.
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