Rebecca Long Bailey has broken her silence to confirm she plans to run to be Labour’s new leader, but faces a surprise challenge to be the Corbynista candidate.

In her opening pitch, the shadow business secretary pledged to champion “progressive patriotism”, while avoiding criticism of the outgoing leader or of his handling of the antisemitism issue.

Instead, Ms Long Bailey argued Labour’s policy agenda was popular, saying: “We didn’t lose because of our commitment to scrap universal credit, invest in public services or abolish tuition fees.”

But, in evidence that doubts are growing on the Left about her credentials, party chairman Ian Lavery also announced that he is weighing up a leadership bid.

“He has had a tremendous amount of support and is seriously considering all of his options,” said a spokesman for the former miner, a close Jeremy Corbyn ally.

The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Show all 8 1 /8 The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Keir Starmer The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has announced that he is standing for the leadership. He is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the party’s eventual backing of a second referendum. Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer - conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Launching his bid, Starmer said that Labour must listen to the public on how to change "restore trust in our party as a force for good." A YouGov poll places him comfortably in the lead as the preferred candidate of 36% of party members EPA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Lisa Nandy Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has announced she wil stand for the leadership. In a letter to the Wigan Post she said she wanted to bring Labour "home" to voters in its traditional strongholds who have abandoned the party. Nandy went on to say that she understands "that we have one chance to win back the trust of people in Wigan, Workington and Wrexham." A YouGov poll shows that Nandy is the first preference for 6% of partymembers. Getty The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Rebecca Long Bailey A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a “proud socialist”. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime minister’s questions and during the general election debates. The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop. Launching her leadership bid, Long Bailey said the party needs to make the positive case for immigration as a "positive force." She also broke with Corbyn over Trident, saying "If you have a deterrent you have to be prepared to use it." PA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Angela Rayner - Deputy leadership Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has joined the contest for deputy leadership of the party. After ruling herself out of running for the leadership, the Ashton-under-Lynne MP launched her bid for deputy warning that Labour faces the "biggest challenge" in its history and must "win or die." She is close with leadership contender Rebecca Long Bailey PA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Rosena Allin-Khan - Deputy leadership Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan said Labour need to listen with "humility" to lost voters as she launched her bid for the deputy leadership. Writing in The Independent, the MP for Tooting refelcted: "We shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs in Scotland, and now we’ve paid the price in northern England, across the midlands and in Wales." PA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Dawn Butler - Deputy leadership Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler was first to announce her bid for the deputy leadership. The Brent Central MP has served in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet since 2016 PA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Ian Murray - Deputy leadership Labour's only MP in Scotland said that the architects of the party's "catastrophic failure" in the December election can not be allowed to lead the party forward PA The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader Richard Burgon - Deputy leadership Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is standing as a continuity candidate, flaunting his loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and saying it is wrong to blame the current leader for the election defeat PA

Ms Long Bailey was immediately installed as favourite by some bookmakers, when Labour’s catastrophic election defeat triggered Mr Corbyn’s intention to stand down.

Long cultivated by the leadership as his likely successor, she then said nothing for more than two weeks, allowing criticism to grow that she would be unable to break free of his legacy.

Now, in an article for The Guardian, the Salford MP has partly blamed rows over the EU for Labour’s defeat, saying: “The country was sharply divided by Brexit and our compromise solution satisfied too few.”

But she added: “We can’t blame Brexit alone and we must recognise that it’s no good having the right solutions if people don’t believe you can deliver them.”

Ms Long Bailey also, like Keir Starmer, insisted the radicalism Corbyn brought is here to stay, writing: “Strategies designed in Westminster were partly to blame, but it’s also true that Labour’s support has been falling in many communities for a decade or more.

“We must rebuild trust, not only in our party but in the idea that change really is possible.

“This means we cannot return to the politics of the past. Our transformative agenda is principled and popular, while triangulation and soft pedalling will only take us backwards.”

Some voters viewed Mr Corbyn as unpatriotic, because of his pacifism, his reluctance to sing the national anthem and his failure to immediately challenge Russia over the Salisbury poisonings.

Ms Long Bailey wrote: “From ex-miners in Blyth Valley to migrant cleaners in Brixton, from small businesses in Stoke-on-Trent to the self-employed in Salford, we have to unite our communities.

“Britain has a long history of patriotism rooted in working life, built upon unity and pride in the common interests and shared life of everyone.

“To win we must revive this progressive patriotism and solidarity in a form fit for modern Britain.”