Former prime minister Gordon Brown has publicly backed Keir Starmer’s bid to be the next Labour leader.
In a video message, Brown said that while Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy were worthy candidates, only Starmer had “all the qualifications that are necessary” to take the party back into government and to take the helm at No.10.
“A vote for Keir Starmer is a vote for hope. It’s a vote for the future. It’s a vote for the values that all of us believe in deeply,” he said.
The move is another major endorsement for Starmer, with a month to go in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.
Corbyn himself has so far steered clear of showing direct support for any of the candidates, but he has appeared alongside Long-Bailey and offered his “absolute support” for her green industrial policy package.
Tony Blair has refused to back any leadership contender, although he has given a full-throated endorsement for deputy leadership candidate Ian Murray.
In his message, Brown said: “We have three worthy candidates in the election for Labour leader. Rebecca Long-Bailey has emphasised the importance of a Green New Deal. Lisa Nandy has talked rightly about the importance of empowering our communities.
“But there is one candidate with the expertise, with the eloquence, with the dedication, with the commitment and indeed with the values that are necessary for Labour to return to power.”
Starmer has been careful since his leadership launch to say that Labour should not “trash” the record of the Blair-Brown governments while also not rejecting all the changes Corbyn oversaw.
Brown pointed to his and Blair’s record in office on “the minimum wage, tax credits, Sure Start, so many major reforms doubling the amount of money spent on the health service - and restoring it for the people of Britain”.
In 2015, he endorsed Yvette Cooper for the leadership and in 2010 he intervened behind the scenes to support Ed Miliband.
The most recent YouGov/SkyNews poll of party members put Starmer in first place, with enough support to win the contest on first preference votes.
But Long-Bailey still holds out hope she can triumph and Nandy told HuffPost this week she was confident a late surge of undecided members could help her pull off a shock win.