91Èȱ¬

Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray has secured enough support to run in Labour's deputy leadership contest.

He received including the party's chief whip Nick Brown.

Candidates need nominations from 22 or more Labour MPs and MEPs to progress to the next stage of the election.

Also in the running for the role is MP for Ashton, Droylsden and Failsworth Angela Rayner who has secured 71 nominations.

Mr Murray said he was "overwhelmed" by the response from colleagues and members from across the UK.

He said: "I'm now relishing the chance to get out there and speak to members in every region and nation of the UK during the campaign.

"This is an opportunity to rebuild the Labour Party into an alternative government for the future, not a protest movement of the past."

Mr Murray is Labour's only MP in Scotland after the party lost six seats in December's general election.

MPs Dawn Butler, Richard Burgon and Rosena Allin-Khan have also announced their intention to run for the deputy leader's post.

Meanwhile Labour MPs Rebecca Long Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips have secured support to run in the party's leadership contest.

The MPs for Salford and Eccles, Birmingham Yardley and Wigan join Sir Keir Starmer on the ballot paper to replace Jeremy Corbyn.

Earlier this week Mr Murray said the architects of the party's ''catastrophic failure" in 2019 could not be allowed to lead the response.

The long-time critic of Jeremy Corbyn said he never again wanted to feel the way he did on the night of the general election

He added the party had let down millions of people across the UK.