Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has endorsed Cllr Anna Rothery to be Labour's next candidate for Mayor of Liverpool.
In what could be a key moment in the campaign, the former party boss - who remains very popular with a significant number of Labour members - has backed the current Lord Mayor for the nomination.
Cllr Rothery has described herself as an underdog as she takes on current Acting Mayor Wendy Simon and former Deputy Mayor Ann O'Byrne in the all-female contest to replace Joe Anderson.
Mayor Anderson was suspended by the party after his arrest in December on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation as part of a Merseyside Police investigation into building and development contracts in Liverpool.
Voting amongst Labour members will begin next week, with a new candidate expected to be announced around March 5.
Cllr Rothery has called for Mr Corbyn to have the whip restored and his endorsement will provide a big boost as she hopes to secure votes from the left of the party.
She shared a video on her twitter account of Mr Corbyn backing her for the role.
He said: "I'm absolutely delighted to support Anna Rothery as our candidate to be Liverpool's Mayor.
"She will be fantastic, the first black woman to become Mayor of Liverpool.
"Somebody deeply rooted in all of Liverpool's fantastic communities and somebody who believes the Labour movement is empowered when it's a community based, community organised and community led party.
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"Anna is the one to do that and I absolutely hope that she is selected and elected as our candidate to be Mayor of the the fantastic city of Liverpool."
Cllr Rothery, who represents Princes Park ward, has already made history as the city's first black Lord Mayor and is hoping to make more by becoming the first black and female elected leader of the city.
