Labour frontbencher Liz Kendall has revealed she will be stepping back from her shadow cabinet duties temporarily next year when she has a baby through surrogacy.

The Leicester West MP, who is shadow minister for social care, told the Leicester Mercury: “My partner and I are delighted to announce that we will be having a baby in the new year through surrogacy.

“It has been a really difficult time getting here, so we feel unbelievably lucky and happier than we ever imagined.

Some happy news! https://t.co/op9qvLqsiy

“We will be eternally grateful to our surrogate for making this possible.”

Ms Kendall said she would be taking leave from her roles as an MP and member of the shadow cabinet to “make the most of this precious time with the newest member of our family”.

But she added: “I want to reassure my constituents that my office will remain fully open throughout, and my whole team will continue to provide the very best help and support to local residents.”

Reacting to the announcement, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “wonderful news”.

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“Wishing you and your family all the very best,” he tweeted to Ms Kendall.

Ms Kendall has been an MP since 2010.

She stood for the Labour Party leadership in the wake of Ed Miliband’s resignation in 2015, finishing last in a contest that was won by Jeremy Corbyn.

The news comes after Parliament said it will review its rules on bringing babies into the Commons after a Labour MP was reprimanded for taking her young son into a debate.

Stella Creasy shared an email from an official on Tuesday telling her she should not have had her three-month-old son in the House of Commons while speaking in Westminster Hall.

Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle announced on Wednesday he has asked for the chair of the cross-party Procedures Committee to look into the matter, with MPs then able to decide how to proceed.

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