Labour leadership hopefuls bid for GMB union backing
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The GMB union is expected to announce who it is backing on Tuesday
Four Labour leadership candidates have faced each other at a two-hour hustings in a bid to gain support from one of the UK's biggest trade unions.
The GMB, which represents workers and has 620,000 members, is due to announce who it is backing later on Tuesday.
So far only Sir Keir Starmer has gained the minimum threshold of support needed to get onto the final ballot.
Supporters of Jess Phillips have insisted it is "business as usual" amid speculation she could soon pull out.
The Birmingham Yardley MP missed the GMB hustings because of a prior engagement and submitted a written statement instead.
To make it to the final stage of the contest along with Sir Keir, Ms Phillips and three of her rivals have to secure nominations from 5% of constituency Labour parties (CLPs), or three affiliate groups - two of which must be trade unions - representing at least 5% of affiliated members.
The BBC's political correspondent Iain Watson said Ms Phillips was always unlikely to get the GMB endorsement but still has three weeks in which to win over enough local Labour parties.
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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy - as well as Sir Keir - faced two hours of questions from the GMB's executive.
Leaving the event, Sir Keir said he was "hopeful" of the union's support while Mrs Long-Bailey said it was "now up to the members".
Ms Nandy said all the candidates had stressed the need for Labour to "recover its ambition and up its game", adding that her message was that the party won when it was bold.
Ms Thornberry said the quartet had been "put through their paces". She said she had emphasised her experience in taking on Boris Johnson in the Commons and rejected suggestions she was struggling to make an impression, telling journalists, "please don't say it's all over."
Before the event, held at the head offices of the TUC, the union's general secretary, Tim Roache, said he was "looking forward to respectful debate and hearing from the candidates".
Four candidates remain in the race for the Labour leadership
Sir Keir will visit the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) in Manchester later, after it announced its support for him on Monday.
The shadow Brexit secretary also has the backing of Unison and affiliate group the Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA).
Unite - the union which donates most money to Labour - will make its decision on who to endorse later this week.
Its general secretary Len McCluskey, who was visiting the TUC's offices on Tuesday, told the BBC that the party needed to retain its "radical edge", insisting that many of its policies it campaigned on at the election were popular with the voters.
He said his union would get "100% behind" whoever was elected as leader.
Who decides on the next Labour leader?
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Mrs Long-Bailey is due to speak at a campaign event in London.
She has gained the backing of affiliated group Young Labour, which said on Monday she was "a socialist who we can trust to stand up to the political establishment".
"She will fight to provide answers to the challenges we face as young people, from low wages and high rents to skyrocketing student debt," a statement said.
Usdaw has also given its support to shadow education secretary Angela Rayner for deputy leader.
She faces competition for the role from Scotland's only remaining Labour MP, Ian Murray, shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler, Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan and shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon.
One of these five candidates will replace Tom Watson, who stepped down as deputy leader in December.
There are also five candidates for Labour deputy leader
The unions, affiliate groups and CLPs have until 14 February to get their preferences submitted.
The final ballot of party members, trade unionists and registered supporters will open on 21 February, and the new leader and deputy will be announced on 4 April.
