Barry Gardiner considering bid for Labour leadership
Mr Gardiner tells Sky News' Beth Rigby that he will make his final decision within the next 24 hours.
Thursday 9 January 2020 18:15, UK
The Labour Party leadership race may have another contender after Barry Gardiner confirmed he is considering a bid for the job.
Speaking from the Middle East, he told Sky News' Beth Rigby that he will make his final decision within the next 24 hours.
And he denied reports that Unite union boss Len McCluskey had called him to encourage him to stand.
Mr McCluskey had earlier refuted reports in the Huffington Post that he has asked left-leaning frontbenchers to enter the race to replace Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Gardiner would be entering the race to become against Sir Keir Starmer, Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy, Emily Thornberry, Clive Lewis and Corbynite Rebecca Long-Bailey.
Mr McCluskey tweeted: "This is utter nonsense. I certainly haven't been approached by Barry to support him as leader. Let me also make clear I have not indicated any concerns about RLB's campaign, or anyone else's.
"I repeat what I've been saying for weeks. There will be no announcement from Unite until our EC meets the candidates on 24 Jan. Claims to the contrary should be dismissed as fake news."
Earlier in the week he was forced to say Unite had not yet made a decision on who it would back and the decision would come after the executive committee had met.
On Wednesday, the UK's largest union Unison said it was backing Sir Keir in the contest.
A source close to Mr Gardiner told the HuffPost: "Barry recognises the challenges the party faces over the next five years and believes he has the broad base of support, experience and loyalty to the party to win the race and take the fight to the Tories."
Mr Gardiner has been Brent North MP since 1997.