Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDecorated former marine Al Carns has emerged as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader, with backbenchers increasingly discussing him as a contender amidst questions over Starmer's future. Carns, 45, had a distinguished 24-year military career, rising from the most junior ranks to Colonel, including four tours of duty in Afghanistan where he earned the Military Cross for gallantry, an OBE, and the Distinguished Service Order. He grew up in a tough, working-class area of Aberdeen, raised by a single mother, and attended state school before joining the military at 19. Carns resigned his military commission in May 2024 to stand as a Labour MP, successfully winning the Birmingham Selly Oak seat in the July 2024 general election with a majority exceeding 11,500 votes. In a recent article for The New Statesman, Carns emphasised a need for 'action' over 'slogans, strategies, press releases or commissions,' signalling his approach to political leadership. Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in