Yvette Cooper: Corbyn offers the 'wrong answers for the future'
Labour leadership candidate Yvette Cooper has urged those considering voting for her rival Jeremy Corbyn not to do so for the sake of the party.
Speaking in Manchester, ahead of ballot papers being issued tomorrow, the shadow home secretary said if recent polls are right "we have a battle on for the soul of our party".
Referring to Mr Corbyn directly, Ms Cooper said: "In the yearning for answers and for Britain to change, I can see why so many people have bought into what Jeremy is offering."
Adding that she is not going to "dismiss the values and intentions of Jeremy and those supporting him", she went on to say, "nor am I going to pander to or pretend that I agree with them on the answers for Britain".
Ms Cooper told party members a really radical approach would be to back her as a woman to lead the party.
"A Labour Party after a century of championing equality and diversity which turns the clock back to be led again by a leader and deputy leader, both white men.
"Or to smash our own glass ceiling to get Labour's first elected woman leader and woman prime minister too. Who's the real radical? Jeremy or me?", she added.
Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair has today warned the party faces "annihilation" if Mr Corbyn wins the leadership race.
Writing in the Guardian, he issued a plea to voters, saying: "even if you hate me, please don't take Labour over the cliff edge".
More than 600,000 people are set to choose the next Labour leader, according to party data.
Latest figures include:
299,755 members
189,703 people from bodies affiliated to the party - such as trade unions
21,295 people who have paid £3 to register as a supporter
The surprise emergence of Mr Corbyn as front-runner has led to calls for the contest to be re-run over allegations that it has been exploited by hard-left groups and political opponents including Conservative activists.
Labour said it has already excluded 1,200 members or supporters of another party and will continue to verify those signed up and remove people who are not entitled to a vote.