Labour leadership race begins as senior figures back Rebecca Long-Bailey

[brooklynite]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/15/labour-leadership-race-begins-as-senior-figures-back-rebecca-long-bailey

The starting gun has been fired on the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, as the party became engulfed in a bitter row about whether its Brexit position or leadership were mainly to blame for last week’s election disaster.

Labour confirmed on Sunday night that Corbyn had asked for a leadership process to elect his successor by the end of March, meaning he will carry on in post and opposing Boris Johnson across the dispatch box for more than three months.

The party’s general secretary, Jennie Formby, wrote to the national executive committee to say a full timetable for the leadership contest would be agreed, with a recommended start date of 7 January.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, threw their weight behind their long-term ally Rebecca Long-Bailey for the top job while blaming Brexit for the party losing support across the north and Midlands.