This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

Five candidates have made it through to the next round of the Labour leadership contest – Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips and Emily Thornberry.

The leadership hopefuls passed the first hurdle after gaining the nominations of 22 MP and MEP colleagues, with one candidate, Clive Lewis, dropping out in the process.

All five candidates for the deputy leadership – Angela Rayner, Dawn Butler, Ian Murray, Richard Burgon and Rosena Allin-Khan – made it through to the next round of the competition.

Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, was the clear favourite for the leadership among MPs, with 88 nominations, with Rebecca Long-Bailey, the favoured candidate of many Jeremy Corbyn allies, second on 33.

Lisa Nandy, who has been critical of the party’s push for a second referendum on Brexit, has 31 supporters, while Jess Phillips, the backbencher and women’s rights campaigner, has 23 backers.

Thornberry just made it over the line with minutes to go, after picking up some nominations from MPs who had previously backed Lewis. Like Phillips she has 23 nominations.

Lewis, a pro-EU voice on the left of the party, managed to get only five supporters. Withdrawing his candidacy, he said: “At this stage, it’s clear that I won’t get on the ballot. So, I’m standing aside in the spirit of pluralism, diversity and generosity that I’ve promoted throughout this campaign, so that those who have supported me can recast their nominations.”

The contenders will have to pass a second hurdle of gaining nominations from at least 33 constituency Labour parties or three affiliates, of which two must be trade unions, representing at least 5% of affiliate membership.

If they manage to get through that round, they will make the final shortlist from which party members, trade union members, members of affiliated societies and registered supporters will choose a winner.

Starmer is all but certain to be on the ballot paper as he has the backing of Unison, the UK’s biggest union. Unite, the GMB, Usdaw and CWU are yet to declare who they will back. Momentum, the leftwing grassroots campaign group, has decided to back Long-Bailey.

In the deputy leadership contest, Rayner was far out in front with 88 nominations, while Murray had 34 and Butler got 29. Allin-Khan had 23 while Burgon just made it over the line with 22.

Ed Miliband was among prominent Labour figures to reveal on Monday he was backing the frontrunners, Starmer and Rayner.

Speaking on LBC, Phillips said she would like Nandy to win if she was not successful herself and backed Murray for deputy.

The party will soon begin holding a series of hustings across major cities in the UK but some of the candidates spoke out against the decision not to hold events in some regions or smaller towns.

“I am disappointed that the party has chosen not to organise leadership and deputy leadership hustings in every Labour party region and nation,” said Starmer.

“I am concerned that this decision does not reflect well on the party and will be a step backwards in the whole movement’s determination to take the argument for a radical Labour government back to the country.”