Leadership contest: Cooper secures 35 nominations, as 2 MPs withdraw support for Burnham to back Corbyn

Yvette Cooper has become the second leadership candidate who will officially be on the ballot paper.

Candidates need 35 nominations from their fellow MPs to stay in the contest. Cooper has now reached this threshold. She has had the back of 31 for some time but last night another four announced that they would be throwing their weight behind her campaign. They are:

Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West)

Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington)

Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich & Woolwich)

Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby)

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn now has 10 nominations.  Two of the MPs on this list – Michael Meacher and Ronnie Campbell – withdrew their endorsements for Andy Burnham in order to back Corbyn.

The MP for Islington North announced he’d be standing in the leadership contest on Wednesday night. Others who have come forward to support gim include Diane Abbott – 2010 leadership contender and London mayoral hopeful – and Dennis Skinner, who has been the MP for Bolsover since 1970.

It’s thought Corbyn might struggle to reach 35 nominations.

You can read the full list of who’s backing each of the leadership candidates – and who they backed in the 2010 leadership contest here.

UPDATE: Grahame Morris has also transferred his nomination from Andy Burnham to Jeremy Corbyn.