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Jeremy Corbyn says he is ready to serve in shadow cabinet after he is replaced as Labour leader

Leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has suggested she could offer him a job

Andrew Woodcock

Political Editor

Thursday 20 February 2020 17:23 GMT

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Jeremy Corbyn says he'd take a job in the shadow cabinet if next leader offers one

Jeremy Corbyn has said he is ready to serve in the shadow cabinet after he is replaced as Labour leader in April.

Left-wing candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has said she would offer Corbyn a role if she wins the race to succeed him, while deputy leader hopeful Richard Burgon said he would make him shadow foreign secretary.

If he took up a position, Corbyn would be the first Labour politician since the war to remain on the frontbenches after stepping down as leader.

Speaking during a visit to a flood-hit area of South Wales, Mr Corbyn appeared surprised to hear that Ms Long-Bailey was ready to offer him a post.

The battle to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader

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1/8The 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

Asked if he would accept the job offer, Mr Corbyn said: “I’ll see what it is, I didn’t know I was going to be offered anything.”

He added: “I’m happy to serve the party in any capacity.

“My whole life has been about making my contribution in parliament, holding the government to account and for speaking up in policy areas.

“I have been proud to lead the party over the last five years, proud of the policy achievements we have made and the huge growth in membership.”

Ms Long-Bailey is reported to have told supporters in London earlier this month she would hand Mr Corbyn a high-level brief if she defeats Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy to the top job on 4 April.

The Salford and Eccles MP said: “I’d like to but I don’t know whether he wants to do it because he said not… It’s up to him. I love him so.”

Mr Burgon has said Mr Corbyn could continue to play a “valuable role” on Labour’s front bench, saying: “If he was shadow foreign secretary, that would be ideal.”

Labour leadership candidates Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Keir Starmer (Getty)

Ms Long-Bailey, who has been publicly backed by John McDonnell and Jon Lansman, the founder of the pro-Corbyn Momentum group, has been fighting to shake off the “continuity Corbyn” label.

She said last weekend: “Jeremy and I are friends but it’s quite disrespectful when I’m termed the continuity candidate.

“I’ve always been strong in my principles, people know what I believe in.

“To suggest I’m a continuation of any individual is disrespectful, not least because I am a woman.”

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