Big-hitter Brown likely to back Cooper

GORDON BROWN will emerge from political retirement this weekend to urge Labour not to choose Jeremy Corbyn as its next leader.

The former Prime Minister will give a rare public appearance in London tomorrow to issue a last- ditch plea to pick another candidate.

Sources close to Mr Brown say he is likely to endorse Yvette Cooper – who he appointed to Cabinet, and whose husband, Ed Balls, was one of Mr Brown’s closest allies in government. It comes amid growing panic that Mr Corbyn is on course to win the leadership. Ballot papers have already started to be sent out.

One source in contact with Mr Brown said: ‘Gordon wants influence with the leader and the person he would have most influence with would be Yvette.’

A Scottish Labour insider said: ‘Gordon was very close to Ed Balls, so it is logical for him to back Yvette.’

The party’s only Scottish MP, Ian Murray, has also backed Miss Cooper.

Mr Brown stepped down from his Kirk- caldy and Cowdenbeath seat at the General Election, in which Labour lost all but one of its 41 seats.

His office said his speech in central London entitled ‘Power for a Purpose’ is about the future of the Labour Party and is expected to warn that Mr Corbyn’s policies would keep the party out of office.

Miss Cooper’s team played down reports he would endorse her for leader, but the Shadow Home Secretary said: ‘I have spoken to Gordon, I have spoken to lots of different people as part of the campaign, just asking people about their ideas for the future and so on’.