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Labour leadership contest: Burnham reaches out to Corbyn voters Labour leadership contest: Burnham reaches out to Corbyn voters
(about 1 hour later)
Andy Burnham has offered Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn a role in the party if he wins the contest, as voting gets under way.Andy Burnham has offered Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn a role in the party if he wins the contest, as voting gets under way.
Mr Burnham says he is the only candidate who can beat Mr Corbyn and unite the party but he praised the left winger for bringing the contest to life and said he shared many of his views. Mr Burnham said only he could beat Mr Corbyn and unite the party - but he praised his opponent and said he shared many of his views.
Mr Corbyn said he welcomed "Andy's inclusive tone towards our campaign". Mr Corbyn welcomed the "inclusive tone", but Yvette Cooper accused Mr Burnham of sending a confused message.
But Yvette Cooper accused Mr Burnham of sending a confused message to voters. Meanwhile former MP David Miliband has said he supports Liz Kendall.
"I am not really sure what Andy is now saying because it has changed a few times," the leadership hopeful told BBC News. Ms Cooper and Ms Kendall have both said they would not serve in a Jeremy Corbyn shadow cabinet, arguing that policies such as renationalising utilities and scrapping Trident were not credible.
Ms Cooper and leadership contender Liz Kendall have both said they would not serve in a Jeremy Corbyn shadow cabinet, arguing his policies, such as renationalising utilities, scrapping Trident and "printing money" to fund new infrastructure, were not credible and would wreck Labour's chances of winning the next general election. But Mr Burnham has tried to strike a more consensual tone, amid speculation he is going after the veteran left winger's second preference votes.
But Mr Burnham has tried to strike a more consensual tone, amid speculation he is going after the veteran left winger's second preference votes that could prove vital in a close contest.
'Fighting to win''Fighting to win'
In a speech in Manchester, Mr Burnham said he shared a "good deal of common ground" with Mr Corbyn, on issues such as transport and education, and would offer him a role in rebuilding the party. In a speech in Manchester, Mr Burnham said he shared a "good deal of common ground" with Mr Corbyn on issues such as transport and education, and would offer him a role in rebuilding the party.
But he criticised the Islington North MP's sceptical stance on the European Union and attacked his economic policies, which he said would "leave us open to losing the argument on the economy on day one".But he criticised the Islington North MP's sceptical stance on the European Union and attacked his economic policies, which he said would "leave us open to losing the argument on the economy on day one".
He added: "I won't let our party repeat the history of the early 1980s when we were more interested in fighting each other and we left the pitch clear for Margaret Thatcher to bulldoze her way through Labour communities up and down the country."He added: "I won't let our party repeat the history of the early 1980s when we were more interested in fighting each other and we left the pitch clear for Margaret Thatcher to bulldoze her way through Labour communities up and down the country."
He said he was now "fighting to win this contest with everything I've got because the very future of our party hangs in the balance".
He also told supporters he would oppose the government's controversial Welfare Bill if he wins the contest, saying he only abstained in a Commons vote on the issue - a move which attracted criticism from Mr Corbyn's supporters - to preserve party unity.He also told supporters he would oppose the government's controversial Welfare Bill if he wins the contest, saying he only abstained in a Commons vote on the issue - a move which attracted criticism from Mr Corbyn's supporters - to preserve party unity.
Mr Corbyn said he welcomed Mr Burnham's olive branch, saying: "The view is mutual - if we win we would involve Andy in our team if he was willing. From day one, whoever wins must pull the party together."Mr Corbyn said he welcomed Mr Burnham's olive branch, saying: "The view is mutual - if we win we would involve Andy in our team if he was willing. From day one, whoever wins must pull the party together."
But Ms Cooper said only she could stop Mr Corbyn winning and offer a "credible strategy" to beat the Conservatives in the 2020 general election.But Ms Cooper said only she could stop Mr Corbyn winning and offer a "credible strategy" to beat the Conservatives in the 2020 general election.
Ms Cooper and Ms Kendall have rejected claims they considered quitting the contest and throwing their weight behind Mr Burnham in an effort to stop Mr Corbyn winning.Ms Cooper and Ms Kendall have rejected claims they considered quitting the contest and throwing their weight behind Mr Burnham in an effort to stop Mr Corbyn winning.
Labour leadership contestLabour leadership contest
Ms Kendall told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "I have said obviously I want people to vote for me with their first preference but they should use their second and third preferences for Yvette or Andy, or Andy or Yvette." Ms Kendall told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "I have said obviously I want people to vote for me with their first preference but they should use their second and third preferences for Yvette or Andy."
Senior Labour figures fear the contest has been hijacked by hard left activists signing up to the party to vote for Mr Corbyn, who has emerged from rank outsider to be the favourite to succeed Ed Miliband, according to opinion polls and his three rivals. Senior Labour figures fear the contest has been hijacked by hard left activists signing up to the party to vote for Mr Corbyn.
Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have both warned against voting for Mr Corbyn, with Mr Brown saying Labour must be "credible" and "electable" in order to win back power. Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have both warned against voting for Mr Corbyn, with Mr Brown saying Labour must be "credible" and "electable".
And David Miliband told The Guardian it would risk creating a one-governing-party state dominated by the Conservatives, as he backed Ms Kendall. Writing in the Guardian, Mr Miliband - brother of former party leader Ed - warned that Britain could become "a multiparty democracy with only one party - the Conservative Party - that can win parliamentary majorities".
"The Corbyn programme looks backwards," he wrote.
He added: "I have been struck since the beginning of the campaign by the plain speaking, fresh thinking and political courage of Liz Kendall."
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