Labour leadership contenders: will it finally be a woman?

This time last year, many commentators were writing Jeremy Corbyn’s political obituary. But after a strong election campaign and a better-than-expected result, the Labour party has fallen in behind him.

After a left-wing takeover of the party’s National Executive Committee, Corbyn’s position seems unassailable - and with the Government struggling to assert itself, he is now also favourite to be the UK’s next prime minister.

However, the next election is not scheduled to take place until 2022, by which time Corbyn will be nearly 73. While he has vowed to contest it - and to complete a full five-year term if elected - questions about his age have promoted speculation about who could replace him.

There is a growing strand of thought within the party that the next Labour leader should be a woman, but with Brexit proving divisive and a battle still raging for the party's ideological soul, the field remains wide open.

Here are the frontrunners to replace Corbyn, and the latest odds for each:

Emily Thornberry 6/1

The shadow foreign secretary has won praise for her performances filling in for Corbyn at Prime Ministers Questions, as well as for her straight-talking media appearances. A Corbyn loyalist, she has emerged as his de facto No. 2 and enjoys strong support from more left-wing party members and, importantly, many of the unions.

However she hails from a similar north London constituency to Corbyn and campaigned heavily for Remain, which could make it harder for her to connect with working-class voters. An infamous tweet during the 2015 election campaign, in which she appeared to mock a terraced house draped with an English flag and a white van parked outside it, might come back to haunt her too.

Sir Keir Starmer 7/1

As Labour’s Brexit spokesman, Starmer has become one of the most visible figures in Corbyn’s top team. A former director of public prosecutions, he has been credited with navigating the party through the Brexit minefield while holding the Government to account over its handling of the negotiations.

Unlike many of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, though, Starmer does not have a history on the hard-left. Some see him as a political opportunist and may believe he would drag the party back to the centre. He has long held aspirations for the top job, but Labour may not be in the mood for a knighted, middle-class, Oxbridge-educated white man.

Angela Rayner 10/1

A long-time Corbyn devotee rather than recent convert, Rayner shares her mentor’s radical position on many issues, endearing her to the Labour members whose support will be crucial in a leadership race.

Outspoken yet loyal, she has led the charge against sexism and bullying in the party and has a gripping life story: she was pregnant when she left school at 16, before rising up the Labour party ranks.

Once seen as Corbyn’s preferred successor, she has “fallen out of favour after describing the party’s economic plans for big increases in state spending as a high-risk ‘shit-or-bust strategy’”, says the Daily Express.

Aged just 37 and with little frontline experience, she may also lack the necessary expertise to lead the country.

Clive Lewis 10/1

The former army officer-turned politician “was regarded as a rising star before resigning as shadow business secretary last year after refusing to obey the party’s three-line whip and vote for the bill allowing Theresa May to trigger Article 50, the formal process for leaving the European Union”, says The Guardian.

He retains the support of grassroots members, but was recently accused of sexual harassment - although later cleared.

Dan Jarvis 10/1

Another former soldier, Jarvis was first touted as a future Labour leader following the party’s 2015 election defeat. He opted against a run then, a decision he said he later regretted, but his name continues to circulate despite his lack of frontbench experience.

Yvette Cooper 12/1

The former cabinet minister and leadership contender has a wealth of experience in frontline British politics. She won praise for her Commons performances during last year’s Brexit debate and was reportedly being lined up to replace Corbyn after the general election.

She retains strong support from MPs but is regarded as one of the more centrist contenders for the leadership and may be too closely associated with the Blair and Brown eras.

Chuka Umunna 16/1

The arch-Remain MP for Streatham has long been talked of as a future leader. A smooth media operator, he has become one of the most prominent parliamentary voices advocating a so-called soft Brexit.

Like Cooper, he is a centrist, and has repeatedly been the subject of attacks by hard-left Labour activists.

Sadiq Khan 25/1

The London Mayor and former Tooting MP is one of the few Labour politicians to hold power.

As the son of a London bus driver, the community lawyer-turned politician has a strong personal story, but he has been accused of political expediency in his run for the London mayor’s job, tacking left to secure the nominations before tracking right to win the wider vote. He also clashed repeatedly with Corbyn before the general election, leading some to suggest he was trying to position himself to take over when his term finishes in 2020.

And the outsider... Laura Pidcock 100/1

The newly elected Labour firebrand has impressed Corbyn’s team with her attacks on Conservative welfare policies and was last month promoted to shadow minister for labour after less than a year as an MP.

According to the Express, Labour party insiders hailed Pidcock, still only 30, as “the new chosen one” as members groomed her to take over from should Corbyn choose to stand down before the next election.

The source added that Corbyn may quit if the right candidate can “secure his legacy”.

“Jeremy’s people have gone off Rebecca Long-Bailey,” another member of the shadow cabinet told The Sunday Times. “That's why they're promoting Pidcock. She's the new chosen one. She’s getting a lot of support from the leader’s office and they’re promoting her on social media.”