The Wigan MP is the first to break cover on her intentions to run in what could be a crowded leadership race - with Rebecca Long-Bailey emerging as the favoured successor to Mr Corbyn by the left-wing of the party.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said Ms Long-Bailey would make a "brilliant" leader, while Richard Burgon, one of Corbyn's most loyal allies in the shadow cabinet, said he would back her for the top job.

Labour has been rocked by Boris Johnson's historic election victory, which resulted in the party's worst defeat at the polls since 1935.

Speculation is mounting over who will announce a bid to succeed Mr Corbyn, with Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry and Dawn Butler all understood to be poised to launch campaigns. Angela Rayner, Ms Long-Bailey and Jess Phillips are also thought to be considering running.

Asked about whether she would run, Ms Nandy told the Andrew Marr Show: "The honest answer is that I am seriously thinking about it.

"The reason that I am thinking about it is because we have just had the most shattering defeat where you really felt in towns like mine that the earth was quaking and we have watched the entire Labour base just crumble beneath our feet.

"We need to think seriously now about first of all how you bring those lifelong Labour voters - who felt that they not only couldn't vote Labour but actually in many instance chose the Tories - how you bring Labour home to them."

The former shadow cabinet minister laid out her pitch to reconnect Labour with its voters outside London, with calls to move party HQ away from the capital and to return the annual conference to towns across the UK.

Ms Nandy said there is a "very, very hard road" to regain the trust of Labour voters in towns across the north of England, adding: "I think it's right to say that we need to be much more rooted in those parts of the country."

Her declaration comes as Mr Corbyn's allies began to coalesce around Ms Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, who has long been regarded as the protege of Mr McDonnell.

Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Show all 10 1 /10 Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Dennis Skinner - Labour Labour MP of 49 years Dennis Skinner lost his Bolsover seat to Conservative Mark Fletcher, losing 16% of the vote share PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Jo Swinson - Liberal Democrat Leader of the Liberal Democrats lost her Dunbartonshire East seat in a 6.8% swing to the SNP PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Anna Soubry - The Independent Group for Change Leader of The Independent Group for Change, formerly Conservative MP, Anna Soubry lost her Broxtowe seat, coming third behind the winning Conservatives and Labour PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Dominic Grieve - Independent Prominent Remain-backing MP Grieve lost the contest for Beaconsfield, coming second to the Conservatives, his former party AFP/Getty Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Luciana Berger - Liberal Democrat Luciana Berger lost the contest for Finchley and Golders Green, coming second to Conservative Mike Freer PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Laura Pidcock - Labour Prominent Corbyn ally Laura Pidcock lost her Durham North West seat to Conservative Richard Holden PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Chukka Umunna - Liberal Democrat Prominent anti-Brexit MP Chukka Umunna lost the contest for the Cities of London & Westminster, coming second to Conservative Nickie Aiken Getty Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Zac Goldsmith - Conservative Former candidate for Mayor of London Zac Goldsmith lost his Richmond Park seat to Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney PA Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Nigel Dodds - DUP Former leader of the DUP Nigel Dodds lost his Belfast North seat to Sinn Fein AFP/Getty Big beasts lose their seats: Prominent MPs gone after election Gareth Snell - Labour Labour MP Gareth Snell lost his Stoke-on-Trent central seat to the Conservatives PA

The Salford MP has not yet announced whether she will run, but she is understood to be speaking to Ms Rayner over the weekend over whether one or both of them will run for the job. The deputy leadership post is also open after Tom Watson stood down at the election.

Mr Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, threw his weight behind Ms Long-Bailey as a candidate, saying she understood what needed to be done to win back Labour voters in northern Leave seats.

Asked if he will stand for the leadership, he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I would like to see Rebecca Long-Bailey as leader of the Labour Party. That’s a decision for her to make.

“I think she understands northern Leave seats. She’s had experience in the shadow cabinet in charge of the shadow BEIS (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) department.

“I think she’s somebody who could really help us to win back those votes we’ve lost. She’d be a fantastic first woman leader of the Labour Party.”

Asked if he would run to be Ms Long-Bailey’s deputy, Mr Burgon said: “I’m considering that. Colleagues have approached me about that, and grassroots members and trade unions encouraging me to stand."

Mr McDonnell said he expected the leadership change will take place in eight to 10 weeks, and said Ms Long-Bailey "could be a brilliant leader" before praising shadow cabinet ministers Ms Rayner, Mr Burgon and Ms Butler.

He also said it was "most probably time for a non-metropolitan", adding: "I think it is time for a non-London MP, we need a northern voice as much as possible."

Any potential bid by Ms Thornberry was dealt a blow when Caroline Flint, angered by losing her Don Valley seat to the Tories, said the shadow foreign secretary had declared: "I'm glad my constituent aren't as stupid as yours".

Ms Thornberry famously resigned from the front bench after posting a tweet of a white van and several St George Flags during a by-election in Rochester and Strood - which was regarded as snobby by voters.

Asked who should succeed Mr Corbyn as Labour leader, Ms Flint said: “I don’t think it should be anybody who has had a hand in our Brexit strategy over the last few years, and I don’t think it can be Corbyn without a beard, I think that would be the wrong move as well.”

Ms Flint earlier said she was trying to “stem my anger” as she criticised “ardent Remainers” within the party - naming Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper - for having “contributed to sacrificing 59 seats”.

General election 2019: How the night unfolded Show all 27 1 /27 General election 2019: How the night unfolded General election 2019: How the night unfolded Boris Johnson wins biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher ...while Labour records worst result since Clement Attlee PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded 11.28pm - First result to be announced Labour holds Newcastle Central, albeit with a reduced majority, in the first result to be announced in the 2019 General Election PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded 11.33pm - Conservatives gain Blyth Valley The Conservatives gain Blyth Valley, in the North East, from Labour in the first big upset of the night. The seat had been held by Labour since 1950 BBC General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1.23am - Conservatives succeed in appealing to "Workington Man" The Tories won the North West constituency from Labour - the first time the seat has changed hands since 1979 Telegraph General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1.27am - The SNP gains Rutherglen & Hamilton West from Labour, the first of six seats they take from Jeremy Corbyn's party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie with some her newly elected MP's at the Glasgow count Getty General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1.50am - The Tories gain Wrexham from Labour The first time the party have ever held the seat ITV General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1.52am - Labour wins Putney from the Conservatives The party's first gain of the night from the Tories BBC General election 2019: How the night unfolded 1.55am - The SNP gains its first seat from the Tories Winning Angus Press Association Images General election 2019: How the night unfolded 2.33am - Iain Duncan Smith holds on to seat The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith held on to his Chingford & Woodford Green seat, but saw his majority cut almost in half to just 1,262 Reuters General election 2019: How the night unfolded 2.46am - Conservatives gain Tom Watson's old seat The Tories gained West Bromwich West from Labour in an 11.69% swing Getty General election 2019: How the night unfolded 2.50am - Bishop Auckland, a Labour seat since 1935, becomes a Tory gain Dehenna Davison won with a majority of 7,962 CharlElmore/Twitter General election 2019: How the night unfolded 2.54am - Chuka Umunna loses out to Tories The former Streatham MP who defected from Labour to the Independent Group before switching to the Liberal Democrats, lost out to the Conservative party in Cities of London & Westminster James Moreland/Twitter General election 2019: How the night unfolded 2.58am - DUP's Westminster leader beaten Nigel Dodds was beaten by Sinn Fein's John Finucane in Belfast North Getty General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.15am - Tories lose seat to the Lib Dems Zac Goldsmith lost his Richmond Park seat to the Liberal Democrats, the party's first gain of the night PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.24am - Jeremy Corbyn announces he will not lead party in future elections The Labour leader was voted back in to the Islington North seat but described the results as "very disappointing" and said he would not lead the party in any future election campaign Reuters General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.32am - Labour's Caroline Flint loses her seat to the Tories The first time her party has not held the seat since 1922 Sky News General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.38am - The Tories beat Labour in Wakefield Mary Creagh lost out to Imran Ahmad-Khan in a Labour seat since 1932 Reuters General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.42am - Boris extends his majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South The Prime Minister said: "It does look as though this One Nation Conservative Government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done." Reuters General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.44am - The Tories gain Rother Valley and Sedgefield 3.44am - The Conservatives gained Rother Valley, a Labour seat since 1918, and Sedgefield, which was once held by former prime minister Tony Blair AFP via Getty General election 2019: How the night unfolded 3.45am - Jo Swinson loses seat The Liberal Democrat leader lost her Dunbartonshire East seat to the SNP PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded 4.25am - Conservatives retake Kensington from Labour The Tories took back the seat with a margin of 150 votes PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded 5.15am - Major scalp for the Tories 5.15am - Dennis Skinner, Labour's Beast Of Bolsover loses his seat that had been red since 1950 AFP General election 2019: How the night unfolded 6.08am - US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1205368801438707713 General election 2019: How the night unfolded How the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats General Election 2019 how the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats. See story POLITICS Election. Infographic PA Graphics PA Graphics Press Association Images General election 2019: How the night unfolded 6.23am - Acting Lib Dem leaders announced 6.23am - Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton were announced as the joint acting leaders of the Liberal Democrats following Jo Swinson's defeat PA General election 2019: How the night unfolded Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street AP General election 2019: How the night unfolded State of the parties General Election 2019 state of the parties. See story POLITICS Election. Infographic PA Graphics PA Graphics Press Association Images

The former minister said: “I don’t believe anybody who have been the architects of our European policy in the last few years is credible to be leader - I don’t think they can win back these seats.”

She added: “Keir Starmer led us to a policy that did not listen to Labour leave voices who urged caution, he led us down the path of a second referendum, and I’m afraid Emily Thornberry did as well - she said to one of my colleagues ‘I’m glad my constituents aren’t as stupid as yours’.”

It comes as Mr Corbyn faced criticism for claiming his party had "won the argument" but failing to express humility over the scale of Labour's defeat under his leadership.