Harman: New leader must appeal to public rather than party loyalists

Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite has categorically denied that unions are considering disaffiliating from Labour.

"This idea that we are considering disaffiliating from the Labour Party is nonsense," he told ITV News political correspondent Emily Morgan today.

He added: "In many ways the Labour Party has never been as united as it currently is."

The Labour Party wants to hold televised hustings in the parts of the country where it lost when it elects a new leader over the summer.

Interim leader Harriet Harman said she hoped to arrange "robust, tough, televised hustings which involve the public", and that she was speaking to broadcasters to make it happen.

She said: "Last time our hustings - in front of Labour members - were in cities where Labour won. We must have those hustings now in towns and suburbs where Labour lost.

"We have to go back and ask local people from those areas to be brutally honest about what they think of us and what they want from us."

Labour's interim leader Harriet Harman has said she wants to "let the public in" on the party's forthcoming leadership election.

Therefore, she has announced that anyone who pays the £3 fee to register as a Labour supporter will get a vote in the election.

She said: "Anyone – providing they are on the electoral register – can become a registered supporter, pay £3 and have a vote to decide our next leader."

She said the party had asked itself the wrong questions, deciding "who do we like" rather than "who does the country like" in previous contests.

Harriet Harman has admitted that the shock exit poll published at 10pm on election day was "a body blow none of us will ever forget".

Labour's interim leader made the remark in a speech on the party's forthcoming leadership contest.

Labour leadership ballot papers will be issued by the Electoral Reform Society so unions cannot try to skew the votes of their members, Harriet Harman is to say.

Candidates will also be "stress tested" at open, televised hustings in areas of the country where the party failed at the election.

Details of the process are due to be set out by acting leader Ms Harman in a speech at Labour's HQ in central London.

More: Union boss urges Labour to return to working class roots

Jon Cruddas MP - who oversaw the writing of the Labour's manifesto - said the party must "articulate a sense of purpose, vision".

"We have to re-establish what is the purpose of the centre-left political party nowadays in terms of its economic strategy, its social strategy, its approach to questions of democracy, power, citizenship.

"The question of political character is now more important than political policies because people don't know who we are. There isn't that basic sentiment in and around Labour so our candidates sometimes find it difficult to articulate a sense of purpose, vision."

Labour is facing one of the greatest crises in its history, according to the man who oversaw the writing of the party's manifesto.

Jon Cruddas said whoever takes over as leader from Ed Miliband in the wake of a shocking General Election defeat must be prepared for a rethink on what the party is all about.

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Speaking on BBC Radio Four, the MP for Dagenham and Rainham said: "Arguably, it's one of the great crises of the Labour Party's history."

Labour frontbencher Tristram Hunt has said he will make an announcement on whether he wants to put himself forward as a candidate for the Labour leadership next week adding that there is "no rush".

Chuka Umunna has said he is looking to the future after withdrawing from the Labour leadership race.

Candidates for the Labour leadership are to make their pitch to activists after the surprise withdrawal of favourite Mr Umunna from the race.

Mary Creagh, Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall remain in the battle to replace Ed Miliband following the General Election.