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Gordon Brown backs Yvette Cooper for Labour leader Gordon Brown backs Yvette Cooper for Labour leader
(about 2 hours later)
Gordon Brown has endorsed Yvette Cooper as the next Labour leader, a week after delivering a coded warning against the party choosing Jeremy Corbyn. Gordon Brown has endorsed Yvette Cooper as the next Labour leader, a week after delivering a coded warning against the party choosing Jeremy Corbyn. The former prime minister will speak about his endorsement at the Edinburgh book festival at the weekend, revealing that he picked Andy Burnham as his second preference and Liz Kendall as his third.
The former prime minister will speak about his endorsement at the Edinburgh book festival at the weekend, revealing that he picked Andy Burnham as his second preference and Liz Kendall as his third. The choices confirm that he is not keen on Corbyn, which was the widely interpreted message of his speech at London’s Southbank centre in which he argued that Labour must be “credible, radical, sustainable and electable to help people out of poverty”.
The choices confirm that he is not keen on Corbyn, which was the widely-interpreted message of his speech at London’s Southbank centre in which he argued that Labour must be “credible, radical, sustainable and electable to help people out of poverty”.
At the time, Brown did not refer to any of the candidates by name, but his 50-minute speech was full of thinly veiled warnings that Corbyn would make Labour a party of protest rather than one of government. He also suggested that the MP for Islington North could damage international relations by allying with Hezbollah, Hamas, Venezuela and Russia.At the time, Brown did not refer to any of the candidates by name, but his 50-minute speech was full of thinly veiled warnings that Corbyn would make Labour a party of protest rather than one of government. He also suggested that the MP for Islington North could damage international relations by allying with Hezbollah, Hamas, Venezuela and Russia.
It is not known why he decided to make his choice public, after declining to reveal his favourite for the job a week ago. However, his preference for Cooper will not be seen as surprising given that he promoted her to the cabinet, and her husband, Ed Balls, was one of his closest allies. It is not known why he has now decided to make his choice public after declining to reveal his favourite for the job a week ago. However, his preference for Cooper will not be seen as surprising given that he promoted her to the cabinet, and her husband, Ed Balls, was one of his closest allies.
Related: Gordon Brown urges Labour not to be party of protest by electing CorbynRelated: Gordon Brown urges Labour not to be party of protest by electing Corbyn
Meanwhile, Burnham gave one of his strongest warnings yet against his party taking a “wrong turn” and allowing itself to become disunited. Meanwhile, Burnham gave one of his strongest warnings yet against his party taking a “wrong turn” and allowing itself to become disunited. Speaking in north London on Monday night, he argued that his party was at risk of losing the next two elections and being out of power for even longer than the 18 years under Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
Speaking in north London on Monday night, he argued that his party was at risk of losing the next two elections and being out of power for even longer than the 18 years under Margaret Thatcher and John Major. “I am very clear that under my leadership, we will have the strongest opposition ever taking on the Tories, getting after them day in, day out, setting out a clear and radical alternative. But we need more. Under my leadership, we will also build a party that will not just take the Tories on, but kick the Tories out,” he said. “If we take the wrong turn now, we risk subjecting people to two decades of the Tories. We let that happen once before and I will fight with everything I’ve got to stop it happening again.”
“I am very clear that under my leadership, we will have the strongest opposition ever taking on the Tories, getting after them day in day out, setting out a clear and radical alternative. But we need more. Under my leadership we will also build a party that will not just take the Tories on, but kick the Tories out,” he said. Bunrham will also say that the party is in danger of “turning inward and talking to ourselves” during the leadership contest instead of addressing the whole nation. A source in his camp insisted that he was not talking about the danger of Corbyn in particular, but the risk of disunity under anyone but Burnham.
“If we take the wrong turn now, we risk subjecting people to two decades of the Tories. We let that happen once before and I will fight with everything I’ve got to stop it happening again.”
Bunrham will also say the party is in danger of “turning inward and talking to ourselves” during the leadership contest instead of addressing the whole nation. A source in his camp insisted that he was not talking about the danger of Corbyn in particular but the risk of disunity under anyone but Burnham.
Separately, he addressed Corbyn’s pledge to apologise on behalf of Labour for the Iraq war, suggesting that he could be open to this after the Chilcot report was published if “apologies need to be made”.Separately, he addressed Corbyn’s pledge to apologise on behalf of Labour for the Iraq war, suggesting that he could be open to this after the Chilcot report was published if “apologies need to be made”.
Corbyn remains the firm favourite to win the contest, having galvanised the left with his anti-austerity politics and straight-talking manner. On Monday, he set out his plans for improvement to mental health care, which included plans for schoolchildren to get education in emotional intelligence, life skills and parenting. Corbyn remains the firm favourite to win the contest, having galvanised the left with his anti-austerity politics and straight-talking manner. On Monday, he set out his plans for improvement to mental healthcare, which included plans for schoolchildren to get education in emotional intelligence, life skills and parenting. Earlier, he dismissed warnings that the party could split under his leadership, saying the number of MPs making “noises off” about him was “relatively small”.
Earlier, he dismissed warnings that the party could split under his leadership, saying the number of MPs making “noises off” about him was “relatively small”. Amid concerns among the candidates about the way the contest has been run, representatives of all campaigns will gather at Labour headquarters for a briefing on Tuesday. In particular, Burnham’s camp made public their worries last week “about potential Tory infiltration on a large scale” among the party’s new 120,000 registered supporters, and raised the possibility of a legal challenge to the result if Corbyn wins.
Amid concerns among the candidates about the way the contest has been run, representatives of all campaigns will gather at Labour headquarters for a briefing on Tuesday. However, speaking to Channel 4 News on Monday, Burnham distanced himself from such a move, saying he would not personally seek to use the law to overturn the result, although others might. He said he had confidence in the process as long as infiltrators were being identified, and claimed that a Tory councillor was at a Labour members’ leadership event, having already voted.
In particular, Burnham’s camp made public their worries last week “about potential Tory infiltration on a large scale” among the party’s new 120,000 registered supporters and raised the possibility of a legal challenge to the result if Corbyn wins.
However, speaking to Channel 4 News on Monday, Burnham distanced himself from getting involved in such a move, saying he would not personally seek to use the law to overturn the result, although others might. He said he had confidence in the process as long as infiltrators were being identified, and claimed that a Tory councillor was at a Labour members’ leadership event, having already voted.
Sources in the campaigns said the briefing would be an opportunity for Labour to reassure the candidates that the contest was legally robust. They would want to know in particular that checks on new supporters were as thorough in areas without Labour representation as places where the local MP was helping to weed out names of known supporters of other parties. They also want more details about the scale of the problem of infiltration, which Labour has been refusing to make public.Sources in the campaigns said the briefing would be an opportunity for Labour to reassure the candidates that the contest was legally robust. They would want to know in particular that checks on new supporters were as thorough in areas without Labour representation as places where the local MP was helping to weed out names of known supporters of other parties. They also want more details about the scale of the problem of infiltration, which Labour has been refusing to make public.
A party insider said there were now concerns at Labour’s central London headquarters, in Brewer’s Green, that entryists might have wiped their Facebook and Twitter profiles of clues that they were supporters of other parties. The source said it was not meant to be public knowledge that checks mostly involved monitoring the social media accounts of new members and supporters but this information about the verification process had leaked out. A party insider said there were now concerns at Labour’s central London headquarters that entryists might have wiped their Facebook and Twitter profiles of clues that they were supporters of other parties. The source said it was not meant to be public knowledge that checks mostly involved monitoring the social media accounts of new members and supporters, but this information about the verification process had leaked out.
A Labour spokesman denied reports that 50,000 new members and supporters who signed up to vote in the contest could ultimately remain unverified before the winner was declared on 12 September. It is understood the party was so inundated with applications that it had to draft in a team of Labour student volunteers to help with the process. However, the party is claiming that the bulk of the verification process will be completed by the end of this week. A Labour spokesman denied reports that 50,000 new members and supporters who signed up to vote in the contest could ultimately remain unverified before the winner was declared on 12 September. It is understood that the party was so inundated with applications that it had to draft in a team of student volunteers to help with the process. However, the party is claiming that the bulk of the verification process will be completed by the end of this week.