Here's what Chuka Umunna's Labour rivals say about his decision to stand down

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna withdrew his bid to be the leader of the Labour Party on Friday, just three days after announcing his intention to run.

Yvette Cooper, Andy Burham, Mary Creagh and Liz Kendall all remain in the race, which won’t be decided until August. Shadow culture secretary Tristram Hunt is also expected to throw his hat into the ring and there's even an online campaign to get new MP Keir Starmer to stand.

Umunna, a forerunner in the contest, cited concerns over intense media scrutiny as the main reason for his decision. His former leadership contenders Yvette Cooper and Mary Creagh had this to say:

Shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh told the BBC's World at One:

I can only conclude he's come to this decision after a lot of soul searching... he has a huge role to play both in the Labour party and in the country and the future Labour government.

Ben Bradshaw, a former Labour culture secretary, is in the running to be deputy leader. He told the Daily Politics show:

It is absolutely tragic... [if it's because of] pressure on family or an extended group of friends I think that is a very sad reflection on our political culture.

London mayoral candidate Dame Tessa Jowell told Sky News:

This was obviously a difficult decision... He knew that by running for the leadership he was going to open himself to greater scrutiny and I think that he was ready for that.

But what he was not prepared for was that scrutiny extending to his friends, his partner, and to his family. I think he has found that deeply distressing.

And former Mayor of London, Labour's Ken Livingstone, says Umunna's previously cordial relationship with the media meant the sudden scrutiny would have been a "shock":

They'll have had private investigators, everything would have been gone over, and it is quite a shock. It happened to me when I was 35, it's like a tidal wave of intrusion and abuse - they tracked down old girlfriends who I'd forgotten - I mean everything.

And it is incredibly intrusive and I think Chuka is most likely just deciding, at this stage in his life he doesn't want his girlfriend and his family going through all of that.

More: Chuka Umunna has pulled out of the Labour leadership race. Here's why