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| Alistair Darling: I don't know what Jeremy Corbyn stands for | Alistair Darling: I don't know what Jeremy Corbyn stands for |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling has said he is struggling to "see a silver lining" in Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader. | Former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling has said he is struggling to "see a silver lining" in Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader. |
| Mr Corbyn would find it hard to "get off the ground" unless he set out very clearly where he stood on key issues. | Mr Corbyn would find it hard to "get off the ground" unless he set out very clearly where he stood on key issues. |
| "So far this week I do not know where he is going, what he stands for," he told Radio 4's Today. | |
| Asked whether he could see shadow chancellor John McDonnell in the Treasury, he said it was "difficult". | Asked whether he could see shadow chancellor John McDonnell in the Treasury, he said it was "difficult". |
| The Labour leader has had a difficult first week as leader, being criticised for the lack of women in the most senior shadow cabinet positions, his decision not to sing the national anthem at a Battle of Britain service and confusion over his stance on the EU referendum. | |
| Mr Darling acknowledged that Mr Corbyn - who was elected with nearly 60% of the vote last Saturday - had a "huge mandate". | |
| He said Mr Corbyn had benefited from and "capitalised on" the public distrust of the political establishment and their yearning for something new. | |
| 'First impressions' | |
| However, he said "first impressions" of a new leader were decisive and although Mr Corbyn had made it clear "what he is against, I am not sure what he is for". | |
| Unless Mr Corbyn defined himself and spelt out where he stood on key issues, such as the economy and Europe, others would do it for him and "he will never get off the ground". | |
| "I didn't vote for him but he's there," he told Today. "I've have been a member of the Labour Party for 40 years and we will do our best. | |
| "He is the leader but so far this week I am bound to say I do not know where he is going, what he stands for. | |
| "Frankly in the next couple of days he needs to set out with greater clarity what he wants to achieve and how we are going to do it. He has not done that yet....If he says he can really make a difference, he really does need to say how we will make a difference." | |
| Asked whether he could envisage Mr McDonnell - whose appointment has been questioned by some MPs - as chancellor, Mr Darling said this was "difficult but I am willing to be surprised". | |
| He added: "I am sure all clouds have a silver lining but I haven't quite seen the silver lining here yet". |