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| Yvette Cooper warns against Labour lurch to the left or right | Yvette Cooper warns against Labour lurch to the left or right |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Yvette Cooper has hit out at leadership rivals who believe “there needs to be blood on the floor for the Labour party to rise again”. | Yvette Cooper has hit out at leadership rivals who believe “there needs to be blood on the floor for the Labour party to rise again”. |
| In an apparent swipe at Andy Burnham, the unions’ likely choice, and the Blairite Liz Kendall, Cooper said the party couldn’t afford to “flail about” between right and left. Instead, she said Labour must make decisive changes to win elections next year in London, Wales and Scotland. | In an apparent swipe at Andy Burnham, the unions’ likely choice, and the Blairite Liz Kendall, Cooper said the party couldn’t afford to “flail about” between right and left. Instead, she said Labour must make decisive changes to win elections next year in London, Wales and Scotland. |
| “Acerbic critiques and the rapid washing of hands won’t make Labour win again,” Cooper said. “Nor will doing what we’ve done before but shouting that little bit louder. | “Acerbic critiques and the rapid washing of hands won’t make Labour win again,” Cooper said. “Nor will doing what we’ve done before but shouting that little bit louder. |
| “We can’t repeat the narrow approach of the last five years. But nor should we think the answer is to swallow the Tory manifesto instead. | “We can’t repeat the narrow approach of the last five years. But nor should we think the answer is to swallow the Tory manifesto instead. |
| “Neither approach will get us the Labour government the country needs in 2020.” | “Neither approach will get us the Labour government the country needs in 2020.” |
| Cooper, the shadow home secretary, has launched her bid to lead a Labour party divided over its future after it suffered its worst general election result since 1982. | Cooper, the shadow home secretary, has launched her bid to lead a Labour party divided over its future after it suffered its worst general election result since 1982. |
| Kendall has warned the party not to cling to the “fantasy” that Britain has swung to the left. She is the bookies’ second favourite to win after telling journalists this week that Labour must back business and embrace public-sector reform. | Kendall has warned the party not to cling to the “fantasy” that Britain has swung to the left. She is the bookies’ second favourite to win after telling journalists this week that Labour must back business and embrace public-sector reform. |
| Burnham, a key member of former leader Ed Miliband’s inner circle, leads the betting. Labour activists are persuaded by his calls to repeal the coalition’s health reforms and protect the NHS from privatisation. | Burnham, a key member of former leader Ed Miliband’s inner circle, leads the betting. Labour activists are persuaded by his calls to repeal the coalition’s health reforms and protect the NHS from privatisation. |
| As a northerner and one of the most leftwing candidates, he is probably the most likely to get trade union endorsement. | As a northerner and one of the most leftwing candidates, he is probably the most likely to get trade union endorsement. |
| Related: Ed Balls to give up politics following his surprise defeat at general election | Related: Ed Balls to give up politics following his surprise defeat at general election |
| Cooper, who some would says is tainted by her marriage to Ed Balls, the former shadow chancellor who was a key adviser to Gordon Brown, comes in third. He lost his seat to the Conservatives and has said Labour’s campaign should have been more pro-business. | Cooper, who some would says is tainted by her marriage to Ed Balls, the former shadow chancellor who was a key adviser to Gordon Brown, comes in third. He lost his seat to the Conservatives and has said Labour’s campaign should have been more pro-business. |
| But he also refused to attempt a full explanation for what went wrong for Labour, saying it was too early for him to have an answer. | But he also refused to attempt a full explanation for what went wrong for Labour, saying it was too early for him to have an answer. |
| In a blog for the Huffington Post, Cooper said she welcomed debate. But she called for prompt action to widen Labour’s political appeal. | In a blog for the Huffington Post, Cooper said she welcomed debate. But she called for prompt action to widen Labour’s political appeal. |
| She said: “The mountain we now have to climb is high. But there are some who mutter that we should give up: that there needs to be blood on the floor for the Labour party to rise again, that we should swing our party far to the right or far to the left, then fight it out from first principles all over again. | She said: “The mountain we now have to climb is high. But there are some who mutter that we should give up: that there needs to be blood on the floor for the Labour party to rise again, that we should swing our party far to the right or far to the left, then fight it out from first principles all over again. |
| “They believe we simply can’t return to office in under a decade. They advocate, not a 2020 strategy, but a vague plan to win in 2025. But that’s no good for Labour, for Britain or for those who depend on progressive change. We can’t fight and win by remaining a narrow party, we have to reach out. | |
| “We don’t need a 2025 strategy – and even a 2020 strategy isn’t good enough. We need a 2016 strategy, a plan to win next year – starting with the mayor of London, the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament.” | “We don’t need a 2025 strategy – and even a 2020 strategy isn’t good enough. We need a 2016 strategy, a plan to win next year – starting with the mayor of London, the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament.” |
| There are concerns in Labour that support for Burnham and Cooper threatens to squeeze out candidates. Each needs the support of 34 other Labour MPs to join the race. | There are concerns in Labour that support for Burnham and Cooper threatens to squeeze out candidates. Each needs the support of 34 other Labour MPs to join the race. |
| The shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, said he had struggled to find the enough backers. He has thrown his weight behind Kendall’s campaign instead. | The shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, said he had struggled to find the enough backers. He has thrown his weight behind Kendall’s campaign instead. |
| Cooper said: “I want this debate – about our party, our country – to be as wide and as engaging as possible. That means as many people as possible involved in the leadership election, not just a closed-down or polarised contest.” | |
| The shadow home secretary delivered a scathing assessment of the party’s “failed” strategy under Miliband. | The shadow home secretary delivered a scathing assessment of the party’s “failed” strategy under Miliband. |
| “Bluntly, not enough people trusted us with their future,” Cooper said. “Not enough people were convinced we could do the job.” | “Bluntly, not enough people trusted us with their future,” Cooper said. “Not enough people were convinced we could do the job.” |
| Cooper’s husband, Balls, on Friday accepted that his own unpopularity could have been a factor in the defeat. “Ed Miliband said straight after the election he took responsibility but all of us have to bear our share of responsibility,” Balls said. | |
| “Ed was the leader, I backed him as shadow chancellor 100%. In the end he didn’t persuade people he could be the prime minister, but I didn’t persuade people I could be the chancellor, either.” | “Ed was the leader, I backed him as shadow chancellor 100%. In the end he didn’t persuade people he could be the prime minister, but I didn’t persuade people I could be the chancellor, either.” |