A majority of candidates in Labour’s target seats in England will be women, Labour’s ruling national executive committee has decided.

Under plans approved by the NEC, 46 out of the 76 seats the party is targeting to win a majority at the next election will be selected using all-women-shortlists, guaranteeing that at a minimum, 48 per cent of the total parliamentary Labour party would be female should Labour take office with a majority of one.

Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to secure a 50/50 split in the PLP, and the expectation is that all-women-shortlists will be used in enough “retirement seats” – that is, Labour-held seats where the incumbent is standing down – to guarantee a 50/50 split, should the party make it into office.

The full list, obtained by the New Statesman, does not include Scottish or Welsh constituencies as the decision as to whether and when to use an all-women-shortlist is reserved to the leaderships of the Scottish and Welsh parties.