Six contenders to be the next Labour leader

As Labour licks its wounds after a worse performance at the polls on Thursday than in 2010’s election defeat, Ed Miliband has stepped down from the helm of the party.

Labour finds itself entering another term in opposition and once again looking for a new leader. But who is best placed to step up to the plate? Here are some of the front runners:

Andy Burnham

Burnham ran for the party leadership in 2010 but came fourth. This time around the Shadow Health Secretary is the bookies’ favourite to win another leadership contest.

Yvette Cooper

The shadow Home Secretary is popular with both party members and the public. She did not run for the party leadership in 2010 when her husband, Ed Balls, stood against Ed Miliband. The picture is different this time around with Balls no longer an MP.

Chuka Umunna

The 36-year-old shadow Business Secretary is seen by many as a rising star. He is likely to win the support of many of the generation of MPs who entered the Commons with him at the 2010 election.

Liz Kendall

The 43-year-old former special adviser has impressed fellow Labour MPs since entering the Commons in 2010, standing alongside Andy Burnham in her role as Shadow Health Minister.

Dan Jarvis

The former army officer who served in Iraq would be a relative outsider in the leadership race. The shadow Justice Minister would be a fresh face as the party starts to rebuild but his inexperience could also count against him.

David Miliband

After a narrow defeat by Ed for the Labour leadership in 2011, David left politics and is currently based in New York. At this point the elder Miliband brother would be a wildcard candidate but speaking to the Financial Times in December about a return to frontline politics he said, "You just don’t know, do you?"

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