During the 'supporting nominations' period, local Labour Party groups (CLPs) across the country were offered the opportunity to hold a symbolic ballot in which their membership could vote for their preferred candidate, so that the winner would be officially endorsed by that CLP.

[7][8] Supporters of Leonard criticised Sarwar as a ″careerist″ for changing his mind about Corbyn, having called for him to consider his position in a letter ahead of the national party's 2016 leadership election.

[5] Leonard pledged tough rent controls and the introduction of workers' right-to-buy, alongside consideration of broader public ownership.

Leonard pledged to set up a training academy to make Labour's candidates ″as diverse as the electorate″ by supporting female, LGBT, BME and disabled members towards candidacy.

[13] He argued that this money could fund a reversal of disability benefit cuts, means-tested child tax credits of £10 a week and public sector pay increases.

[14] Leonard also proposed strengthening the powers of local government, a "massive" housebuilding scheme, higher child benefits and a new national energy company.

[5] Sarwar faced criticism from Leonard's supporters and the Scottish National Party for his stake in his family business, with some describing him as ″one of the few″ in Labour's 2017 general election slogan ″for the many, not the few″.

Sarwar emphasised that he was a minority shareholder who has no role in running the company, though he admitted receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds in dividends from his stake, which is said to be worth £4,800,000.

[20] Sarwar's campaign received legal advice regarding Unite's sign-up processes, which it described as bringing the leadership contest into "serious question".

[144] The following seven constituencies remain unaccounted for: Argyll and Bute; Banffshire and Buchan Coast; Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Linlithgow; Mid Fife and Glenrothes; Moray; Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.