LABOUR deputy leadership contender Angela Eagle has dismissed suggestions the party has a diversity problem after the only non-white candidate failed to get on the ballot paper. 

Rushanara Ali pulled out of the contest minutes before nominations closed yesterday to ensure Ms Eagle and two more MPs could remain in the race. 

None of the five MPs still in the running to be deputy leader or the four MPs in the leader race are from a black or ethnic minority background. That sparked criticism from members and the media, who said the party was not living up to its own standards on diversity. 

But Ms Eagle, who is gay, said her presence in the deputy leadership contest, along with Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw, who is also gay, proved that was not the case. “We’ve got a gay woman and a gay man running to be deputy leader, so we do have diversity,” she told the Star.

“Rushanara did an extremely generous thing by standing aside because without that nobody else would have got on the ballot paper. “We’ll make sure that the issues she raised in the campaign so far continue to be debated. I want to carry on Harriet Harman’s mantle on equality.”

Support for Ms Ali had surged as the deadline for nominations approached, including backing from shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna — Labour’s most senior black MP.

But with just minutes to spare, the Bethnal Green and Bow MP withdrew from the race to allow her 24 supporters to nominate other candidates closer to the cut off. The decision was crucial in helping Ms Eagle, Mr Bradshaw and shadow business minister Stella Creasy make the cut.

Mr Umunna sprinted into Labour’s parliamentary office to re-allocate his nomination to Ms Creasy in a dramatic climax to eight days of voting. Ms Ali was applauded by fellow candidates for preventing a two horse race between frontrunners Tom Watson and Caroline Flint. 

A photo taken shortly after nominations closed shows Ms Eagle and Mr Bradshaw hugging Ms Ali. And Ms Creasy tweeted: “Much respect to Rushanara Ali for what she did today — she’s got lots of great ideas for Labour’s future that we must all learn from.”