LIVERPOOL-born Andy Burham, MP for Leigh and the Shadow Health Secretary, has launched his campaign for the Labour leadership with a video message warning Labour voters that the party had "lost its emotional connection with millions of people".

Harking back to the year Tony Blair swept to power, the 45-year-old said:  "Our challenge is not to go left or right, to focus on one part of the country over the other" Burham continues in the message, "but to rediscover the beating heart of Labour, and that must always be about the aspirations of everyone, speaking to them like we did in 1997."

 

Burnham, son of a telephone engineer father and receptionist mother, was born in Old Roan, Aintree and brought up in Culcheth.  He attended St Lewis' Primary School and St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School in Newton-le-Willows before heading for Cambridge to read English.  He has emerged as an early favourite in the race for the leadership, with reports suggesting he has the backing of over 60 MPs  (around a quarter of Commons members).

He said: “Labour wins when it speaks to everyone and for the whole country, for middle England but also Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It needs a leader whose voice can carry into all the nations and regions of the UK.”

Candidates require nominations from 15 percent of the party (35 MPs) by June 15 to stand for leader. Wallasey MP Angela Eagle is also rumoured to be considering running for the job or deputy leader.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper followed Burnham's announcement a few hours later with her own candidacy.

Cooper, 46, the MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997 and the former Housing Minister under Gordon Brown, said: "I don't want to be the next leader of the Labour Party just because there's a vacancy, I want to make life better for Britain's families."

Burnham and Cooper will be joined by Liz Kendall and Chuka Umuna in the race to replace Ed Miliband, who resigned as leader following last week's general election meltdown.

The result of the ballot will be announced on Spetember 12.