Labour leader candidates woo GMB delegates

Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham, John McDonnell, David Miliband and Ed Miliband shared the platform at the first - and last - public election hustings before nominations close tomorrow.

With the only missing candidate, Ed Balls, meeting union activists today, Mr Burnham kicked off an exchange with delegates gathered for the GMB congress by criticising former Labour government ministers for "leaving people not knowing what the party even stands for.

"Labour has a long road back because we left many thinking we had been seduced by big business, wealth, power and glamour," he asserted.

Ed Miliband claimed that Labour members "want a leader who inspires, who puts values at the centre of everything we do" and he was echoed by his brother David who professed that "we need a leader who can fire the imagination of the party.

"I think you know me not from my words but because of what I've done," he proclaimed, before stating that union members would not be able to rely on his leadership to overturn the anti-union laws once Labour was back in power.

Diane Abbott launched an undisguised attack on the Miliband brothers when she declared that Labour "doesn't have coronations or heir apparents.

"We should have a genuine contest with candidates who know what it means to have Cameron's cuts threaten our families," she emphasised, while John McDonnell roused delegates with his forthright demand that Labour "stop listening to the CBI and start listening to working people.

"We need all the candidates on the ballot paper so we can have a real election, unite, defeat the Tories and elect a proper Labour government," he asserted.

Three candidates have reached the 33-nomination threshold to made the ballot for the party leadership so far - David Miliband with 62 backers, Ed Miliband with 49 and Mr Balls who has 33.

Mr Burnham is supported by 21 Labour MPs, while Mr McDonnell has nominations from 10 and Ms Abbott seven - leaving almost 100 MPs who could yet ensure with their votes that all the declared candidates make the ballot.