Labour has opened applications for a string of safe seats after seven MPs announced last-minute retirements, with key allies of Keir Starmer expected to be lined up to take their places. Those standing down include the former shadow minister Barbara Keeley and the chair of the parliamentary Labour party, John Cryer, as well as John Spellar, Virendra Sharma and Kevin Brennan. Julie Elliott, the MP for Sunderland Central, and Lyn Brown, the MP for West Ham in London, joined the ranks of those retiring on Tuesday. Senior Labour sources said they anticipated there could be several more departures announced in the next 24 hours. The party is also advertising for a number of other safe seats in London, including Stratford and Bow. A number of senior Labour figures are widely expected to seek a seat in the coming days, including Josh Simons, the director of the highly influential pro-Starmer thinktank Labour Together, and Georgia Gould, the leader of Camden council. Members of the party’s ruling national executive committee (NEC), who have been instrumental in transforming its rules after Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, are also tipped for seats. They include Luke Akehurst, Gurinder Singh Josan, Abdi Duale and the NEC chair, James Asser. The move will trigger controversy from critics who argue that Labour candidates – particularly those in plum seats – should be selected with local input from grassroots members and not simply handed to allies of the leadership. In February 2020, while he was campaigning for the Labour leadership, Starmer said selections for Labour candidates needed to be “more democratic and we should end NEC impositions of candidates. Local party members should select their candidates for every election.” He added then that “there should be no power without accountability, and true accountability requires transparency”. Labour figures argue that special circumstances are triggered once an election is called and candidates must be quickly put in place. The party is yet to announce a decision on whether Diane Abbott, who has been suspended for more than a year after remarks she made about racism, will be allowed to stand for Labour. BBC Two’s Newsnight reported that the NEC completed its investigation months ago and that the decision rested with the party’s chief whip, Alan Campbell. Candidates for the general election must submit their nomination papers by 7 June, meaning parties must complete all their selections before then. Barring further last-minute retirements, Labour has selected most of its candidates. Over the weekend the party installed dozens of candidates in non-target seats that it has little hope of winning. The Guardian reported last week that shortlists for non-target seats were completed last January while Labour was stepping up preparations for a spring election. A party source stressed that shortlisted candidates had undergone rigorous vetting at the time, after the controversy over leaked anti-Israel comments made by its byelection candidate in Rochdale, Azhar Ali. The Conservative party still has dozens of candidates to select. Several safe Tory seats are expected to be given to allies of Rishi Sunak, with some of his Downing Street aides tipped to stand.