Emily backs the winner as Harriet Harman becomes Labour Deputy Leader

Emily Thornberry has welcomed Sunday's result in the Labour Party's Deputy Leadership contest, as Harriet Harman - the candidate who Emily nominated and campaigned for - won in the final round of a close race between six contenders.

Under Labour Party rules, the leader and deputy are chosen by an electoral college which gives equal weight to the votes of MPs and MEPs, trade unionists, and individual party members. Candidates must be nominated by at least 44 MPs to be able to stand, and they can receive the supporting nominations of local Labour parties, councillors, and other representatives.

Emily was one of the first of 65 MPs to nominate Harriet Harman to be the next Deputy Leader. Last month, Harriet was also nominated as the first choice for deputy leader by the local Labour parties in the north and south of Islington.

Amongst Islington Labour Councillors, Harriet received the support of the Leader of the Labour group, Catherine West, whilst another backer, Barnsbury Councillor James Murray, was part of the advisory panel for Harriet's report on ‘Labour Renewal: Young People and Politics'.

Other Labour Party members in Islington to endorse Harriet publicly include Stephen Brown, the National Secretary of the National Union of Students (NUS) and Ruth Ashbee, Women's Officer for London Young Labour.

Emily said:

"I nominated Harriet because she has campaigned for women's and family rights for 25 years. When Harriet was elected in 1983 there were just 10 Labour women MPs - the trailblazing work she did helped ensure that I was elected in 2005 as one of 98. Harriet is also from inner London, so we can make sure that the problems we face are at the top of the Government's agenda. I am really pleased to have Harriet as Deputy."

Editors Notes:

1. The 2005 intake to the House of Commons included 128 women MPs (20% of all MPs). Labour had 98 (28% of Labour MPs), the Tories 17 (9% of Tory MPs) and the Lib Dems 10 (16% of Lib Dem MPs).
2. The Labour Party is the only party in British politics to operate a system of All Women Shortlists in winnable seats.
3. Harriet Harman won the Deputy Leadership contest under a preferential voting system, where voters rank the six candidates in order of preference. The lowest-scoring candidate is eliminated until one candidate has more than 50% of the vote. Harriet Harman won with 50.3% of the vote in the final round of voting after all other candidates but Alan Johnson had been eliminated.