Opponents of the Miliband brothers have started to make greater progress in the current race for the leadership of the Labour Party.

Currently David and Ed Miliband are the only candidates to have secured the required nomination of 33 MPs. Between them the two have 98 nominations, representing over a third of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

However their rivals have started to catch up with Ed Balls, seen as a close favourite of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, just eight short of the required 33 nominations.

Meanwhile former Health minister Andy Burnham has secured 14 nominations, including that of David Blunkett, who served as Home Secretary under Tony Blair.

Outside candidates John McDonnell and Diane Abbott also secured their first nominations.

Mr McDonnell, a frequent rebel against the previous Labour government, has secured five nominations, some of which come from well known non-conformists Jeremy Corbyn, Frank Field and Kate Hoey.

Meanwhile Diane Abbott has secured one nomination from fellow black London MP David Lammy.

The current number of nominations is as follows:

David Miliband: 53

Ed Miliband: 45

Ed Balls: 25

Andy Burnham: 14

John McDonnell: 5

Diane Abbott: 1

Candidates have until 9 June to secure 33 nominations.