Barry Gardiner has announced he will not run to be
Labour leader less than 24 hours after HuffPost
UK revealed he was weighing up a bid.
Earlier the shadow cabinet minister insisted he could win a general
election as he confirmed he was considering a run.
But after phoning Labour colleagues on Thursday, Gardiner admitted he did not command enough support.
In a statement, he said: “I want to thank all my colleagues as well as the party activists and members of the public who encouraged me to stand for the Labour leadership.
“I am now clear that at this late stage I cannot secure sufficient nominations to proceed to the next round. I have therefore decided not to stand for the leadership at this time.
“I will continue to serve the party loyally under whichever of my colleagues has the honour of leading our party forward to win the next general election.”
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