Survey of Tory MPs shows most think Kendall could win a general election

Liz Kendall is the likeliest of the Labour leadership contenders to win an election, but won’t become leader, according to a survey of Conservative MPs. Public affairs consultancy Maitland asked 89 Tory MPs about the contest – and 66% said that Kendall had the best chance of beating the Conservatives at the next election.

While 54% said they believed Jeremy Corbyn was on course for victory, only 4% said he was best placed to beat the Tories in a general election. 54% also said that a Corbyn victory would bring them most cheer, and only 8% believe he would be the best despatch box performer out of the candidates.

With 38%, Yvette Cooper was seen as being the most dangerous Commons performer, closely followed by Kendall on 35%. 19% said Andy Burnham.

The strong showings will be a boost for Kendall – although just 4% of those surveyed said they thought she would become leader. 19% predicted a Cooper win, and 23% see Burnham the likely victor on September 12th.

In a speech in London earlier this evening, Kendall echoed remarks she made in today’s LabourList interview, admonishing those who were abusing fellow Labour supporters as ‘Tories’:

“Throughout this election my case – that Labour must be fiscally responsible, economically credible and passionate about championing opportunity, devolving power and a Britain that is open to the world – has been derided as Tory or Tory-lite.

Let me take this argument head on. Real Tories want to destroy trade unions and rights at work, abolish student grants, cut working tax credits for the low paid, and slash the role of the state for ideological reasons – not reform it so it is fit for the future. This is a huge mistake.

But calling ideas from people who have been members of the Labour party for decades “Tory” has become a term of abuse that is a substitute for being forced to think. And the real problem with this accusation is not its absurdity but the danger it poses for our Party.

Labour must change how we apply our values as the world around us changes. When we don’t do that, we atrophy. Dismissing new thinking as Tory or a pale imitation of being Tory hems us in and stops us from doing the necessary thinking to win again.

And in reality, it only helps the Tories by keeping Labour wedded to outdated solutions whilst the people we seek to serve move on and move away. Calling those who dare to think differently Tory-lite isn’t just a misguided insult.  It is an enormous strategic mistake.”