Jamie Reed considering Labour leadership bid

Labour MP Jamie Reed has said that he will enter the race for Labour is no candidate stands who he feels represents “marginalised, peripheral communities of our country”.

The Copeland MP told Buzzfeed that whilst he didn’t currently intend to stand, he would join the race if “no candidate give these issues the attention they deserve”. Here’s his full statement:

“As the MP for England’s most remotely accessible constituency from Westminster, I know more than most the serious lessons Labour must learn from this catastrophic defeat.

“Principally, our approach to peripheral areas and non-metropolitan communities has to be fundamentally reassessed, as does our approach to England. London is not England and the next Labour leader needs to listen to the marginalised, peripheral communities of our country as the United Kingdom ‘balkanises’ in front of us.

“A successful Labour Party must always seek to reach beyond special interests and the Labour base. I’m surprised and flattered to have received approaches from colleagues with regard to entering this contest. There should be no rush to elect a new leader and I will set out those areas I believe the party needs to address as part of its central mission in the following days and weeks.

“At this moment, I have no intention of standing for the leadership, but these issues are so critical to the future of our county and our party that should no candidate give these issues the attention they deserve, then I will consider entering the contest to ensure that these voices are heard.”

On the day after the election, Reed wrote a piece for LabourList warning that many MPs saw Labour’s defeat coming…