Bookies make Chuka Umunna favourite to lead Labour

It seems there’s no stopping the meteoric rise of Chuka Umunna. Having announced that he will run for the Labour leadership, some bookmakers have just made him favourite, and they rarely get these things wrong.

With potential candidates such as David Miliband and Dan Jarvis ruling themselves out, the bookies see the momentum heading Umunna’s way. Unlike many he cannot be tainted with the Blair regime, and as one of Ed Miliband’s trusted team, he never performed badly. His other clear attributes are his youthfulness, political ability, and being of mixed heritage which makes him, whether he likes it or not potentially 'our Obama’. On the down side, some will say that at 36 he’s too young, and there are some who would never accept a non-white leader.

I think with the right people around him - old and young - he could win the leadership and more importantly be a very good leader. I would suggest though, that from time to time he ditch the suit and get down with communities Black and white. In Westminster he’s a great operator but elections are all about how people feel about you emotionally.

Right now, Labour supporters are suffering and need something to cheer about it. Well, in the months and years ahead we could see both a BME Labour leader and a BME Mayor for London.

Now that would be something to cheer about it.

Simon Woolley
 

• Chuka Umunna 7/4
• Andy Burnham 9/4
• Yvette Cooper 5/1
• Liz Kendall 13/2
• Tristram Hunt 10/1

And the long odds:

• Ed Balls 50/1
• Jim Murphy 66/1
• Douglas Alexander 66/1
• Alistair Darling 80/1
• Hilary Benn 100/1
• Diane Abbott 100/1