Bradshaw and Flint both announce deputy leadership campaigns

Two more candidates have entered the fray for the job of deputy leader over the last 12 hours.

Ben Bradshaw told his local party he would seek the role at their post-election get-together last night, before posting his decision on Twitter.

Bradshaw has been the MP for Exeter since 1997, and is one of Labour’s very few MPs in the South West – and he improved his majority last week by around 4,500 votes. In the last Government, he served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Deputy Leader of the Commons.

This morning, Caroline Flint also made her intentions clear on this morning’s Today programme, saying she believed the role was about campaigning, supporting the leader, and publicly making Labour’s case through the media.

Flint has been the MP for Don Valley in Yorkshire since 1997, and held roles such as Europe Minister under the last Labour Government. She has been Shadow Energy Secretary since 2011, responsible for policies such as the energy bill price freeze.

Tom Watson and Angela Eagle are already in the running for deputy leader, while Stella Creasy is thought to formally declare soon.