DEVELOPING: Labour Leadership Contenders Emerge as Phillipson and Thornberry Join Deputy Leader Race

Breaking News: Labour Leadership Contenders Emerge as Phillipson and Thornberry Join Deputy Leader Race Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and senior backbencher Dame Emily Thornberry have entered the contest to replace Angela Rayner as Labour's deputy leader. Lucy Powell, who was sacked from her government job last week, has also announced her candidacy. This development comes just days after Rayner stepped down from the role, sparking a high-stakes battle for the position. The contenders will face off in a vote by party members on October 25. The Labour Party is expected to hold hustings to allow members to question and engage with the candidates. Nominations are due by Thursday evening, with a minimum of 80 Labour MPs required to support each contender. Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan have ruled themselves out of the contest. Other contenders include Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill. This is a developing story with further updates to come as more information becomes available. *This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Based on reporting from Bbc.*