Tottenham MP says party needs candidate best placed to unite factions and win UK’s trust

David Lammy has ruled himself out of the Labour leadership race, saying he is “not the individual best placed for this role at this time”.

The Tottenham MP and former minister said in a tweet he had been humbled by the calls for him to stand as Labour leader but after serious consideration he was not putting himself forward.

He said: “I’m committed to playing my full part in opposition, but we need the candidate best placed to unite our party’s factions so we can win the country’s trust.”

Lammy suggested that his stance on Brexit was a factor in him deciding not to run as he believed he would struggle to win back leave voters who had abandoned Labour at the general election.

He said: “I believe Brexit is a historic mistake, which is why I voted against article 50 and was the first MP to call for a referendum on any Brexit deal. I deplore the rising xenophobia that has occurred in the wake of [the] 2016 [referendum] and the populist nationalism that is being whipped up by a once mainstream political party led by Boris Johnson.”

David Lammy (@DavidLammy) I'm humbled by all who have encouraged me to stand for Labour leader. After serious consideration, I'm ruling myself out. I'm committed to playing my full part in opposition, but we need the candidate best placed to unite our party's factions so we can win the country's trust. https://t.co/AYskTyuKBN

He said he had been emboldened by the many people who shared his views and had received messages, emails and tweets from many members of the Labour party and the wider British public encouraging him to stand.

However, he had decided he was not the best person for the job.

He said: “A key role for the next Labour leader is to win support from and foster unity between different vociferous factions of our party, so that we can win back the trust of our country. I am not the individual best placed for this role at this time.

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“However, overcoming polarisation does not mean abandoning principles. I look forward to making a full contribution to this project of coming together and will back whichever candidate I judge to be most capable of leading it.”

Fellow Labour MP Wes Streeting tweeted that he hoped Lammy would be given a seat “at the top table under the next leader, whoever that is”.

Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) Hope @DavidLammy has a seat at the top table under the next leader, whoever that is. He’s been such a powerful and principled voice for so many people on so many issues. https://t.co/C2l9c3PBmM

Writing in the Observer last month, Lammy suggested he would make a decision during the Christmas period on whether to run, having assessed who best could counter the “populist, ethnic nationalism” of Johnson.

Lammy said: “The alternative to Boris Johnson’s ethnic nationalism that Labour should offer is a civic nationalism. Rather than basing national pride on biological heritage, skin colour or religion, civic nationalism says that we can be united around shared values and institutions.”

The Wigan MP Lisa Nandy announced she would enter the leadership race on Friday. Jess Phillips, the Birmingham Yardley MP, also declared her candidacy on Friday. Phillips and Nandy will join Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis as confirmed candidates. Rebecca Long Bailey and Keir Starmer are also expected to join the race.

A YouGov survey of Labour party members found that Starmer was the strong favourite to win the leadership contest, with 31% listing him as their top choice.

Long Bailey is on 20%, while 11% said they wanted Phillips to win.

Lammy has been approached by the Guardian for a comment.