Gordon Brown backs Yvette Cooper for Labour leader

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed that he is backing Yvette Cooper for Labour leader.

At a speech last week, Brown refused to say who he his favoured candidate was for the top job. However, he offered a clear warning against electing leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn. Although he did not mention the Islington North MP by name, Brown said Labour risked becoming a “party of protest”.

Brown office has confirmed that he believes Cooper should be the next leader. They said that he has chosen Andy Burnham as his second preference and Liz Kendall as his third.

His decision to choose Cooper as his first preference will not come as a surprise to many; she was promoted to his cabinet when he was Prime Minister and has often been thought of as a Brownite.

He will speak about this decision to endorse Cooper this weekend at the Edinburgh Book Festival.