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Labour leadership: Gordon Brown says party must be credible Labour leadership: Gordon Brown says party must be credible
(35 minutes later)
Gordon Brown says Labour has to become "credible" and "electable" once again in order to change people's lives.Gordon Brown says Labour has to become "credible" and "electable" once again in order to change people's lives.
Intervening for the first time in the party's leadership race, he said he was "not here to attack any individual candidate" or to tell anyone to abandon their "high ideals." Intervening for the first time in the party's leadership race, the former Labour PM said he was not attacking any individual candidate or telling anyone to "abandon their high ideals".
But he said it was "not an abandonment of principles to seek power". But he said Labour must not become "a party of permanent protest".
The leadership candidates are Jeremy Corbyn, Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham.The leadership candidates are Jeremy Corbyn, Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham.
Mr Brown's comments come as a poll suggests left-wing candidate Jeremy Corbyn is considered the candidate most likely to worsen Labour's prospects of winning the next election. Mr Brown's comments come as a poll suggests left-winger Jeremy Corbyn - currently the front-runner - is considered the candidate most likely to worsen Labour's prospects of winning the next election.
Corbyn question Last week, Mr Brown's predecessor at Number 10, Tony Blair, warned that Labour risked annihilation if it elected Mr Corbyn.
Voting has now opened in the contest to replace former party leader Ed Miliband.
Mr Brown's address came after his predecessor at Number 10, Tony Blair, warned that Labour risks annihilation if it elects Mr Corbyn.
Mr Brown did not use Mr Corbyn's name but made it clear he disagreed with many of his economic and social policies.Mr Brown did not use Mr Corbyn's name but made it clear he disagreed with many of his economic and social policies.
He referred repeatedly to the need to become more than a party of protest - a criticism that has been levelled at the left-wing candidate. The former prime minister said the UK must continue to build international alliances under a future Labour government.
The former prime minister also said the UK must continue to build international alliances under a future Labour government. He added: "I have to say that if our global alliances are going to be alliances with Hezbollah and Hamas and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela and Vladimir Putin's Russia, there is absolutely no chance of building a world-wide alliance that can deal with poverty and inequality and climate change and financial instability, and we've got to face up to that fact."
He said making alliances with organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah, or leaders like Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin would undermine that effort - a reference to questions Mr Corbyn has faced over his views on those groups and individuals. Analysis: Alex Forsyth, political correspondent, BBC News
'In turmoil' That was a big speech - Gordon Brown covered almost the entire history of the Labour Party - but there was one point that he was very clearly making.
Mr Brown said Labour was "grieving" following the general election defeat. It doesn't matter what your principles are, what you believe in. None of that is any good unless you can get into power - and that was a veiled dig at Jeremy Corbyn.
"We are grieving and it hurts. And I'm not here to attack any individual candidate. And I'm not here to say abandon your high ideals," he continued. Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of being a politician of protest, someone who attracts a lot of strong feelings, a lot of passion, but who could be unelectable. That's the accusation levelled at him and that's exactly the point that Gordon Brown was making.
He didn't name him. He refused to do that, but we know exactly who he was talking about.
Mr Brown also referred repeatedly to the need for Labour to become more than a party of protest - a criticism that has been levelled at Mr Corbyn.
"We are grieving and it hurts," he said.
"And I'm not here to attack any individual candidate. And I'm not here to say abandon your high ideals.
"What I am here to say is that the best way of realising our high ideals is to show that we have an alternative in government that is credible, that is radical, and is electable - is neither a pale imitation of what the Tories offer nor is it the route to being a party of permanent protest, rather than a party of government.""What I am here to say is that the best way of realising our high ideals is to show that we have an alternative in government that is credible, that is radical, and is electable - is neither a pale imitation of what the Tories offer nor is it the route to being a party of permanent protest, rather than a party of government."
The former PM went on: "It is not a mistake to want power. It is not a mistake to do what is necessary to get back to power." He went on: "It is not a mistake to want power. It is not a mistake to do what is necessary to get back to power."
He acknowledged that many people viewed Labour as a party "in turmoil", but the answer was not to become a party of protest and demonstration. Mr Brown spoke after a ComRes study of 2,035 adults in Britain, for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, found 31% of those polled thought Mr Corbyn would worsen Labour's prospects of electoral success. Mr Burnham was the poll's least damaging candidate.
"We can't just be an anti-globalisation party. We can't just say we don't like what's happening... we can't just return to the policies of the past."
A ComRes study of 2,035 adults in Britain, for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, found 31% of those polled thought Mr Corbyn would worsen Labour's prospects of electoral success. Mr Burnham was the poll's least damaging candidate.
Conversely though, 21% thought Mr Corbyn would be most likely to boost Labour's chances of winning the next election.Conversely though, 21% thought Mr Corbyn would be most likely to boost Labour's chances of winning the next election.
Labour leadership contestLabour leadership contest