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| Yvette Cooper: Jeremy Corbyn's economic policies 'not credible' | Yvette Cooper: Jeremy Corbyn's economic policies 'not credible' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Yvette Cooper has launched a broadside against Labour leadership rival Jeremy Corbyn, saying his policies were "not credible". | |
| In her first explicit criticism of the left-wing MP, she said he offered "old solutions to old problems". | In her first explicit criticism of the left-wing MP, she said he offered "old solutions to old problems". |
| Her intervention is in response to his rising popularity, which has fuelled a row over the direction of the party. | |
| Tony Blair and other senior Labour figures have warned the party will be unelectable if it lurches to the left. | |
| Meanwhile, Labour Party officials have rejected calls to pause the contest over fears the process is being sabotaged by members of other parties. | |
| 'Wrong answers' | 'Wrong answers' |
| Ms Cooper's speech came on the eve of ballot papers being dispatched to voters, with the result of the four-way contest - also featuring Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham - to be declared on 12 September. | |
| Shadow home secretary Ms Cooper accused Mr Corbyn - who is the current frontrunner, despite beginning the process as a rank outsider - of "bad economics". | Shadow home secretary Ms Cooper accused Mr Corbyn - who is the current frontrunner, despite beginning the process as a rank outsider - of "bad economics". |
| She said his policies - including on renationalisation, quitting Nato and quantitative easing - were not radical, would not stand up to scrutiny, and would not get Labour elected. | She said his policies - including on renationalisation, quitting Nato and quantitative easing - were not radical, would not stand up to scrutiny, and would not get Labour elected. |
| Analysis by Political Correspondent Ross Hawkins | Analysis by Political Correspondent Ross Hawkins |
| Criticise Corbyn and you make him stronger. That's been the fear of so many who believe he'd spell disaster for Labour. | Criticise Corbyn and you make him stronger. That's been the fear of so many who believe he'd spell disaster for Labour. |
| When Tony Blair - arch-enemy of the party's left - says a Corbyn victory could mean annihilation, they wince. | When Tony Blair - arch-enemy of the party's left - says a Corbyn victory could mean annihilation, they wince. |
| If you love Corbyn and hate Blair, they argue, that won't change your mind. | If you love Corbyn and hate Blair, they argue, that won't change your mind. |
| It's why, perhaps, Yvette Cooper has waited until the eve of polling to explicitly criticise his policies. | It's why, perhaps, Yvette Cooper has waited until the eve of polling to explicitly criticise his policies. |
| It's why others stay silent still. | It's why others stay silent still. |
| Labour's centrists fear too that the flood of new voters - hundreds of thousands of them, enough to form a party of their own - have signed up to back Corbyn. | Labour's centrists fear too that the flood of new voters - hundreds of thousands of them, enough to form a party of their own - have signed up to back Corbyn. |
| They don't know it, though. Not yet. | They don't know it, though. Not yet. |
| The same Westminster consensus that makes Corbyn a sure-fire winner today, regarded him as a fringe outsider not so long ago; it's been a bad year for the Westminster consensus. | The same Westminster consensus that makes Corbyn a sure-fire winner today, regarded him as a fringe outsider not so long ago; it's been a bad year for the Westminster consensus. |
| So time's not up yet for those who'd make the case against Corbyn, but it's running out. | So time's not up yet for those who'd make the case against Corbyn, but it's running out. |
| And his opponents remain uncertain who or what could stand in his way. | And his opponents remain uncertain who or what could stand in his way. |
| Ms Cooper said she did not want to dismiss the values and intentions of Mr Corbyn or his supporters, but she said she would not "pander" to them or pretend she agreed with his answers for Britain. | Ms Cooper said she did not want to dismiss the values and intentions of Mr Corbyn or his supporters, but she said she would not "pander" to them or pretend she agreed with his answers for Britain. |
| "The truth is that Jeremy is offering old solutions to old problems, not new answers to the problems of today," the leadership hopeful said. | "The truth is that Jeremy is offering old solutions to old problems, not new answers to the problems of today," the leadership hopeful said. |
| She added: "I feel really strongly - not just as a leadership candidate but as a Labour Party member that desperately wants an effective Labour government - that his are the wrong answers for the future. | She added: "I feel really strongly - not just as a leadership candidate but as a Labour Party member that desperately wants an effective Labour government - that his are the wrong answers for the future. |
| "They aren't radical and they aren't credible. And they won't change the world. They will keep us out of power and stop us changing the world," she said. | "They aren't radical and they aren't credible. And they won't change the world. They will keep us out of power and stop us changing the world," she said. |
| Ms Cooper said she knew criticism of Mr Corbyn could cost her votes but felt she had to speak out because there was a battle taking place for the soul of the Labour Party. | |
| She said she did not believe that Mr Corbyn would be able to hold the party together. | |
| Labour leadership contest in-depth | Labour leadership contest in-depth |
| A look at what each of the candidates would do if they won power: | A look at what each of the candidates would do if they won power: |
| Ms Cooper's speech came as Mr Blair intensified his warnings about the party moving to the left, saying Labour risked "annihilation" if the Islington North MP won the leadership contest. | |
| In an impassioned letter printed in the Guardian, he said the party was walking "over the cliff's edge". | |
| Mr Blair, who won three elections and served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, added: "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." | Mr Blair, who won three elections and served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, added: "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." |
| Meanwhile, former Labour minister Jack Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Corbyn's policies were "economic illiteracy of the worst order". | Meanwhile, former Labour minister Jack Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Corbyn's policies were "economic illiteracy of the worst order". |
| A vote for the Islington North MP, he said, would leave the party in "perpetual opposition", adding that Mr Corbyn was scared of becoming leader because he never expected to be in a position to win. | A vote for the Islington North MP, he said, would leave the party in "perpetual opposition", adding that Mr Corbyn was scared of becoming leader because he never expected to be in a position to win. |
| However, Ken Livingstone, former Labour MP and London mayor, defended Mr Corbyn's economic strategy and said Mr Corbyn was the only candidate who had sat down and thought through his policies. | However, Ken Livingstone, former Labour MP and London mayor, defended Mr Corbyn's economic strategy and said Mr Corbyn was the only candidate who had sat down and thought through his policies. |
| Mr Livingstone also downplayed fears that the party may split in two if Mr Corbyn became leader, and said Labour should be pleased with the huge surge in new members. | Mr Livingstone also downplayed fears that the party may split in two if Mr Corbyn became leader, and said Labour should be pleased with the huge surge in new members. |
| Numerous MPs have called for the leadership contest to be postponed over fears it has been infiltrated by supporters of other parties but Labour has rejected the claims. | Numerous MPs have called for the leadership contest to be postponed over fears it has been infiltrated by supporters of other parties but Labour has rejected the claims. |
| The Electoral Reform Society has said Labour should delay sending out ballots while checks are made on new members. | The Electoral Reform Society has said Labour should delay sending out ballots while checks are made on new members. |
| On Wednesday, Labour said 610,000 were signed up to vote in the contest. It had 200,000 members before the general election. | On Wednesday, Labour said 610,000 were signed up to vote in the contest. It had 200,000 members before the general election. |
| The society is not involved in running the contest, but its deputy chief executive Darren Hughes said it was obvious there were some people who did not genuinely support Labour who had signed up to vote and should not be allowed to take part. | The society is not involved in running the contest, but its deputy chief executive Darren Hughes said it was obvious there were some people who did not genuinely support Labour who had signed up to vote and should not be allowed to take part. |
| However, a Labour source said: "We are confident in our processes and system and have no plans to delay or suspend." | However, a Labour source said: "We are confident in our processes and system and have no plans to delay or suspend." |