Rolling thread on Labour leadership nominations

BBC graphic.

12.47pm: Diane Abbot has been confirmed as a candidate for the Labour leadership. Very pleased for the sake of diversity that a parent who sends her children to private schools is in the race.

10.25am: The Guardian's Andrew Sparrow is tweeting that Andy Burnham has got enough nominations to enter the Labour leadership race. He borrowed a few of Ed Balls' nominees apparently.

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John McDonnell has withdrawn from the race, backing Diane Abbott. Paul Waugh had the scoop:

“I stood for the Labour leadership as the candidate of the Left and trade union movement so that there could be a proper debate about Labour’s future in which all the wings of the party were fully represented. It is now clear that I am unlikely to secure enough nominations and so I am withdrawing in the hope that we can at least secure a woman on the ballot paper. Yesterday I wrote to Harriet Harman to urge her to use her position as Acting Leader in association with the party's national officers to secure a reduction of the qualifying threshold for candidates to be allowed onto the ballot paper. Regrettably this has not occurred and so I have no other option but to withdraw in the interests of the party. I know that many Labour activists and trade unionists will be disappointed that their candidate will not be on the ballot. I am urging them to continue the fight for democracy within the party so that in future leadership elections rank and file members will be represented by the candidate of their choice.”

Tim Montgomerie