Yvette Cooper announces she will not stand in Labour leadership race
The IndependentSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The next leader needs support and we all need to keep fighting for the Labour government our country so badly needs,” she said. In a clear swipe at Mr Corbyn, who claimed after last month’s election drubbing to have “won the arguments”, Ms Cooper said it was essential for Labour to face up to the scale of its defeat. But we couldn’t persuade people this time and unless we get our act together, we could lose even more support in future.” Ms Cooper warned that “a gulf has grown between the party and the voters we lost” and said the next leader “has to bridge that gap, but they won’t stand a chance of doing so if the rest of us pretend it doesn’t exist”. Labour must be “a party for the whole country, not just a liberal-labour party for the cities” and must learn to be proud of the achievements of the Blair and Brown administrations, she said.
History of this topic
Labour leadership candidate profiles: What do they stand for?
The IndependentDiscover Related
)
