Labour must be “credible” and “electable” in order to win back power and realise its “high ideals”, Gordon Brown has said.
The former PM said Labour must not become “a party of permanent protest”.
Brown said he was not attacking any individual candidate in the leadership race. But some of his comments appeared to warn against choosing left-winger Jeremy Corbyn.
The other candidates are Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham.
Brown’s comments come as a poll suggests Corbyn is considered the candidate most likely to worsen Labour’s prospects of winning the next election.
Last week, Brown’s predecessor at Number 10, Tony Blair, warned that Labour risked annihilation if it elected Corbyn, who polls have also suggested is front-runner, reports the BBC.
Brown did not use Corbyn’s name but made it clear he disagreed with many of his economic and social policies.
The former prime minister said the UK must continue to build international alliances under a future Labour government.
He added: “I have to say that if our global alliances are going to be alliances with Hezbollah and Hamas and Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and Vladimir Putin’s Russia, there is absolutely no chance of building a world-wide alliance that can deal with poverty and inequality and climate change and financial instability, and we’ve got to face up to that fact.”
Corbyn has previously described Hezbollah as “friends” and said that he wanted Hamas to be “part of the debate”.
Brown also referred repeatedly to the need for Labour to become more than a party of protest – a criticism that has been levelled at Corbyn.
“We are grieving and it hurts,” he said.
“And I’m not here to attack any individual candidate. And I’m not here to say abandon your high ideals.
“What I am here to say is that the best way of realising our high ideals is to show that we have an alternative in government that is credible, that is radical, and is electable – is neither a pale imitation of what the Tories offer nor is it the route to being a party of permanent protest, rather than a party of government.”
He went on: “It is not a mistake to want power. It is not a mistake to do what is necessary to get back to power.”
The former PM said Labour must not become “a party of permanent protest”.
Brown said he was not attacking any individual candidate in the leadership race. But some of his comments appeared to warn against choosing left-winger Jeremy Corbyn.
The other candidates are Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham.
Brown’s comments come as a poll suggests Corbyn is considered the candidate most likely to worsen Labour’s prospects of winning the next election.
Last week, Brown’s predecessor at Number 10, Tony Blair, warned that Labour risked annihilation if it elected Corbyn, who polls have also suggested is front-runner, reports the BBC.
Brown did not use Corbyn’s name but made it clear he disagreed with many of his economic and social policies.
The former prime minister said the UK must continue to build international alliances under a future Labour government.
He added: “I have to say that if our global alliances are going to be alliances with Hezbollah and Hamas and Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and Vladimir Putin’s Russia, there is absolutely no chance of building a world-wide alliance that can deal with poverty and inequality and climate change and financial instability, and we’ve got to face up to that fact.”
Corbyn has previously described Hezbollah as “friends” and said that he wanted Hamas to be “part of the debate”.
Brown also referred repeatedly to the need for Labour to become more than a party of protest – a criticism that has been levelled at Corbyn.
“We are grieving and it hurts,” he said.
“And I’m not here to attack any individual candidate. And I’m not here to say abandon your high ideals.
“What I am here to say is that the best way of realising our high ideals is to show that we have an alternative in government that is credible, that is radical, and is electable – is neither a pale imitation of what the Tories offer nor is it the route to being a party of permanent protest, rather than a party of government.”
He went on: “It is not a mistake to want power. It is not a mistake to do what is necessary to get back to power.”
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