Being a London MP could “count against” Dame Emily Thornberry in the race to become Labour’s deputy leader, ex-minister Harriet Harman has told Sky News.
Dame Emily, who has been the MP for Islington South and Finsbury since 2005, confirmed she will stand for the deputy leadership in a social media post on Tuesday.
The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee vowed to be “a voice for the membership, unions, PLP, and our constituents – not just nod along” if she is elected deputy Labour leader on 25 October.
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But Baroness Harriet Harman told Beth Rigby’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast that the location of Dame Emily’s constituency could pose a problem for the would-be deputy.
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She said the fact Dame Emily represents a London borough could “count against” her.
“I think traditionally, if you look at who the party’s chosen, they have chosen somebody from a different part of the country to the leader, in order to create reach,” Baroness Harman said.
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Angela Rayner, who resigned from the deputy position last Friday, is the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester.
Ruth Davidson, Electoral Dysfunction co-host and former Scottish Conservative leader, agreed that having a prime minister, deputy prime minister and deputy Labour leader “that all live and represent within two miles of each other” is “not so great” for Britons who live outside the capital.
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She said those outside London “already think the city is overrepresented in government, transport and politics and media and, you know, EastEnders and everything else”.
Another declared candidate for the Labour deputy leadership – left-wing member Bell Ribeiro-Addy – is also an inner London MP.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy has the backing of the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG), which met in Westminster on Monday night to coalesce around one candidate following criticism of the contest’s rules.
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The Labour Party rule book sets out how candidates can get on the ballot to stand in the election for deputy party leader.
Each nominee must be a sitting member of the Parliamentary Labour Party (a Labour MP), and must be supported by 20% of their fellow members, which currently equates to 80 Labour MPs.
The deadline set by the party’s governing body to gather the required nominations is 5pm on Thursday 11 September.
After that, candidates must win the support of either:
• 5% of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs), which are local party groups;
• At least three organisations affiliated to the party – at least two of which must be trade unions – that comprise 5% of the affiliated party membership.
This process will start on Saturday 13 September, and close on Saturday 27 September.
The successful candidates will then appear on the ballot for a vote of all party members and affiliated party supporters, which will open on Wednesday 8 October, and close on Thursday 23 October at 12pm.
The winner will be announced on Saturday 25 October.
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Meanwhile, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has become the first cabinet minister to announce their candidacy to succeed Ms Rayner.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South pledged to “unite our great party and deliver for working people”, and take on “the dangers Reform poses our country”.
Lucy Powell, who served as leader of the House of Commons until she was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer on Friday, has also confirmed she will run for the position. She is the MP for Manchester Central.
