The race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party has been narrowed to five candidates this week. Political editor Heather Stewart looks at the challenge ahead for the party as it faces five more years of opposition. Plus: John Abraham on the historic warming of the oceans

Labour MPs returned to Westminster minus 60 of their colleagues who lost their seats in last month’s election. With a sizeable Conservative majority, they know that victories in parliament will be sparse and instead are turning their attention to who should succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

The Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, has been following the race in which five candidates have made it over the first procedural hurdle: Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips and Emily Thornberry. With a general election not due until 2024, the eventual winner will have time to formulate an opposition policy platform, but can they improve on the consecutive failures suffered by Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn?

Also today: Prof John Abraham on the historic warming of the oceans and the dangers it presents to global ecosystems.

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