Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has set out her stall to become Labour leader, without a reference to one of the biggest issues of the day.
With nominations due to open on Tuesday, Long-Bailey – favourite of the Labour left – said she could be trusted to maintain “our socialist agenda”.
Her comments will be seen as a thinly veiled swipe at shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, who has been keen to stress his left-wing credentials despite being seen to come from a more centrist tradition.
Writing in the Tribune magazine, she said: “Many candidates in the leadership election say they will not return to the triangulation and Tory-lite policies that held our party back before Jeremy.
“But we need a leader that can be trusted with our socialist agenda. A leader who is totally committed to the policies and has the political backbone to defend them.
“We need a proud socialist to lead the Labour Party, driven by their principles and an unwavering determination to see democratic socialism in our lifetime.
“For all of these reasons and more, I have decided to stand for election to become the next leader of our party.”
Party chairman Ian Lavery immediately announced he would not be standing and would be backing Long-Bailey.
“We must ensure that we never again are seen to be taking working class communities for granted or to write them off as ignorant or ill-educated,” he said in another apparent jibe at pro-Remain contenders.
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