election as leader of the Labour Party.

A rising star of the party, the Streatham MP was first elected to Parliament in 2010 and appointed shadow business secretary the following year.

He announced his intention to stand via a post on his Facebook page. He said he had spoken to half the Labour 80 candidates standing in Tory seats targeted by the party and other MPs before making his announcement.

However, three days later Mr Umunna withdrew from the leadership contest. He said in a statement posted on his Twitter feed that had been uncomfortable with the level of "sheer pressure" and scrutiny that came with being a candidate.

The 36-year-old added that it had perhaps been "too soon" for him to launch a leadership bid.

Rachel Reeves - ruled out

Image copyright AFP

Anotherrising star of the 2010 intake, the MP for Leeds West was appointed shadow chief secretary to the Treasury in 2011 and shadow work and pensions secretary in 2013.

She told BBC News Labour needs "to be in the centre ground to win a general election" but ruled herself out of a leadership bid.

Alan Johnson - ruled out

A former home secretary and shadow chancellor, Alan Johnson is the Labour leadership candidate who never quite was.

The popular MP declined to stand in 2010 and stepped down from his shadow cabinet role in 2011 for personal reasons.

Earlier this year it was reported that senior New Labour figures Lord Mandelson and Alistair Campbell approached Mr Johnson over a leadership bid, although all three later distanced themselves from the story.

But the former postman,