Labour supporters were out in force at the People’s History Museum in Manchester this morning as Andy Burnham made his pitch for the Labour leadership.
The Leigh MP suggested in a 20 -minute speech that unity was the only way to overhaul Labour’s disastrous 2015 General Election result.
With the backing of Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell and North West MEP Afzal Khan in the front row, Burnham promised to “take the fight” to David Cameron.
He said: “Labour needs to face the radical reshaping of the state. Healthy politics on a local level will help shape democracy.
“We can be a strong force that changes the country for the better, like we have done in the past.”
“I believe I am the only person who can unite Labour coming out of this contest.”
Burnham is seen as the safe choice for Labour leader.
He took 68 nominations in the leadership race, including that of Worsley and Eccles South MP Barbara Keeley.
Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, who replaced Hazel Blears in May’s General Election, gave her nomination to Jeremy Corbyn.
Opinion polling over the past two weeks still has left-winger Corbyn with a sizeable lead.
A YouGov poll for the London Evening Standard on 9 August put Burnham 25 percentage points behind Jeremy Corbyn.
The most recent poll published, by Survation on Thursday 13 August, was more circumspect, putting Burnham on 25%, Corbyn on 28%, Yvette Cooper on 15% and Liz Kendall on 12%.
Mr Burnham said he would involve Jeremy Corbyn in “rebuilding the party from the ground up” if he were elected leader in September.
“Two candidates have put forward their visions and the party now must decide which way it wants to go.”
“I have put forward a plan that is both radical and credible, that can unite our party, that can speak to the country and lay the foundations for a Labour victory in 2020.
Senior Labour figures believe that infighting over the direction of the party is allowing the Prime Minister off the hook for his record.
Burnham told the assembled party faithful: “I almost resigned from the shadow cabinet over the welfare bill, but that would not have been me.”
The Labour front bench were heavily criticised for not opposing the Government’s Welfare Bill.
He added his backing for trade unions, saying: “I am proud of our roots and our history.
“Trade unions are needed now more than ever.
The voting process began on Friday 14 August and will close on Thursday 10 September.
Some 610,000 people are eligible to vote, a huge upswing from the 200,000 or so Labour Party members after the General Election in May.
All images @PHMMcr
