Senior Labour figures are preparing to do battle over the rules for the party’s leadership contest, with the one-time favourite still to declare if she will enter the race.

The ruling national executive committee (NEC) will meet on Monday to decide the timetable for electing Jeremy Corbyn’s successor, who can have a vote and how much they should pay to do so.

The decisions – particularly the “cut-off” point for people to join Labour in order to take part – could be crucial in settling who will lead the party’s fightback from its December general election disaster.

Five candidates have entered the race, with Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, the current favourite according to a pre-Christmas poll of members.

But Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow business secretary and so-called “continuity Corbyn” candidate – and the early frontrunner – was absent from the weekend political shows and is still to confirm that she will run.

Her silence has prompted suggestions that her campaign is in trouble – and prompted Ian Lavery, the party chairman, to hint at a rival left-wing bid.

The four other declared candidates are Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, Clive Lewis, a treasury spokesman, and prominent backbenchers Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips.

All except Mr Lewis appeared for setpiece interviews, criticising the overload of policies in Mr Corbyn's defeated manifesto – while Ms Phillips said she would push to reverse Brexit if it proved too damaging.

The party's current rules would give potential new members at least two more weeks to sign up with the right to vote, once the contest is officially launched this week.

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

It is thought that longer than a fortnight would favour ‘insurgent’ candidates, such as Mr Phillips or Ms Nandy – which in turn suggests the NEC, tightly controlled by Corbyn supporters, will reject the option.

In 2016, when the anti-Brexit Owen Smith, challenged Mr Corbyn, a bitter dispute over stopping new members from voting ended up in the courts.

The rules for “registered supporters” to take part will also be decided, allowing non-party members to sign up temporarily at a reduced cost to cast a vote.

In 2015, people were given two months to sign up for a small fee of £3 – but, a year later, the charge went up to £25 and they were given just two days.

The new leader is expected to be in place by the end of March, but there has been speculation that the contest could be shortened to, it is claimed, favour Ms Long Bailey as the establishment candidate.

As one of three shadow cabinet representatives on the NEC she is entitled to attend the London meeting, but is not expected to do so.