Chuka Umunna, son of Nigerian immigrant, to run for UK's Labour Party leadership

Labour MP Chuka Umunna has said he is running to become Labour leader.

He made the announcement by posting a video on Facebook as he met activists in Swindon.

The Streatham MP and shadow business secretary is the second candidate to formally declare in the race to succeed Ed Miliband, who quit last week.



He said he had spoken to around 40 Labour candidates who lost out to Conservatives in target seats at the election before deciding to stand.

Liz Kendall has already thrown her hat into the ring to become opposition leader while Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Tristram Hunt are all seen as potential candidates.


On Facebook, Mr Umunna said Labour should be winning all over the country and rejected suggestions that it could take a decade for the party to get back into power.

"I think we can and should be winning in seats like Swindon," he said. "North, south, east, west - we can absolutely do it as a party."

Mr Umunna has suggested Labour failed to fully reach out to middle-income voters during the election campaign, a criticism echoed by senior figures on the right of the party including Alistair Darling and Lord Mandelson.

Labour is expected to set out the timetable for the leadership election on Wednesday.
Speaking shortly before Mr Umunna made his announcement, Ms Kendall - who is shadow care minister - said she felt it was "maybe time" that Labour had a female leader.

"People like Margaret Beckett and Harriet Harman have been the acting leaders of their party, they have blazed a trail," she told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. "People might think I'm a bit biased in this, but I think it's maybe time that Labour had a woman leader."