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Labour risks 'annihilation' if Jeremy Corbyn is leader - Tony Blair Labour risks 'annihilation' if Jeremy Corbyn is leader - Tony Blair
(about 1 hour later)
The Labour Party risks "annihilation" if Jeremy Corbyn wins the party's leadership contest, former prime minister Tony Blair has warned.The Labour Party risks "annihilation" if Jeremy Corbyn wins the party's leadership contest, former prime minister Tony Blair has warned.
In an impassioned letter printed in the Guardian, Mr Blair said the party was walking "over the cliff's edge".In an impassioned letter printed in the Guardian, Mr Blair said the party was walking "over the cliff's edge".
A Yougov poll for the Times this week showed Mr Corbyn was 32 points ahead of his nearest rival Andy Burnham. A YouGov poll for the Times this week showed Mr Corbyn was 32 points ahead of his nearest rival Andy Burnham.
In the days before registration to vote closed on Wednesday, Labour received more than 160,000 applications. Labour said 610,000 were signed up to vote in the contest. It had 200,000 members before the general election.
Voting for the contest starts on Friday and the result will be declared on 12 September.Voting for the contest starts on Friday and the result will be declared on 12 September.
'Walking eyes shut''Walking eyes shut'
Writing in the Guardian, Mr Blair said: "It doesn't matter whether you're on the left, right or centre of the party, whether you used to support me or hate me," he wrote.Writing in the Guardian, Mr Blair said: "It doesn't matter whether you're on the left, right or centre of the party, whether you used to support me or hate me," he wrote.
"But please understand the danger we are in."But please understand the danger we are in.
"The party is walking eyes shut, arms outstretched over the cliff's edge to the jagged rocks below."The party is walking eyes shut, arms outstretched over the cliff's edge to the jagged rocks below.
"This is not a moment to refrain from disturbing the serenity of the walk on the basis it causes 'disunity'."This is not a moment to refrain from disturbing the serenity of the walk on the basis it causes 'disunity'.
"It is a moment for a rugby tackle if that were possible.""It is a moment for a rugby tackle if that were possible."
Last month Mr Blair, who won three elections and served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, warned against the party moving further to the left and electing Mr Corbyn the party's new leader.
But in a further intensification of his warnings, he said: "If Jeremy Corbyn becomes leader it won't be a defeat like 1983 or 2015 at the next election. It will mean rout, possibly annihilation."
Labour leadership contestLabour leadership contest
At-a-glance profiles of the four contendersAt-a-glance profiles of the four contenders
Labour MP Diane Abbott, who is a supporter of Mr Corbyn, said: "Tony Blair is of course entitled to his opinion but he should try and judge whether at this stage it's counter-productive."
Mr Corbyn, a backbencher who was seen as a rank outsider at the start of the campaign, has been packing out meeting halls across the UK, with many of his supporters joining the Labour Party to vote for him.Mr Corbyn, a backbencher who was seen as a rank outsider at the start of the campaign, has been packing out meeting halls across the UK, with many of his supporters joining the Labour Party to vote for him.
On Tuesday the YouGov poll for The Times of 1,400 eligible voters put Mr Corbyn on 53%, 32 points ahead of Andy Burnham.On Tuesday the YouGov poll for The Times of 1,400 eligible voters put Mr Corbyn on 53%, 32 points ahead of Andy Burnham.
Mr Corbyn urged caution in response to the polls, saying his campaign was "going very well" but ballot papers had not yet been sent out.Mr Corbyn urged caution in response to the polls, saying his campaign was "going very well" but ballot papers had not yet been sent out.
The other contestants in the contest are Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall. New Labour members
Last month Mr Blair, who won three elections and served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, warned against the party moving further to the left and electing Mr Corbyn the party's new leader. Numerous MPs have called for the leadership contest to be postponed over fears it has been infiltrated by supporters of other parties but Labour have rejected the claims.
But in a further intensification of his warnings, Mr Blair said: "If Jeremy Corbyn becomes leader it won't be a defeat like 1983 or 2015 at the next election. It will mean rout, possibly annihilation." The campaign teams of the other leadership candidates have now written a joint letter to the Labour party to complain about the lack of data they are receiving on people who have recently joined the party.
Numerous MPs have called for the leadership contest to be postponed over fears it has been infiltrated by supporters of other parties. Candidates Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall have been told that they will not be receiving lists of those who have just signed up as members for another 10 days - although their details are being passed to the Electoral Reform Society which is sending out the ballot papers.
These fears have been rejected by Labour, which says robust checks are in place. In their letter they say this means there will not be a "level playing field" for all the candidates.
Campaign sources say they are concerned unions, which have declared their support for Mr Corbyn, will pass on the details of their affiliated supporters to his campaign, giving him an unfair advantage.