Downing Street has been accused of attempting to “stitch up” the deputy leadership race by giving prospective candidates just 72 hours to secure support to enter the contest.

Sacked cabinet minister Lucy Powell and former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry have emerged as early frontrunners in the battle to succeed Angela Rayner as the elected deputy leader of The Labour Party.

Several MPs were frantically messaging colleagues on Monday in a bid to gauge the level of support before entering the race, as each candidate must secure the backing of 80 MPs under the party’s rules. New Feature

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Thornberry was first out of the traps canvassing support by sending a video of herself from Sunday appearing on the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg

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