Kendall says Labour must show it can be trusted

LABOUR must show it can be trusted with the nation’s finances and adopt a pro-business stance, Liz Kendall insisted as she claimed she would be the “leader the Tories fear” if she wins the contest to succeed Ed Miliband.

Signalling that the opposition must accept the need for austerity measures to repair the nation’s finances, Ms Kendall said the deficit should be brought down as soon as possible and called for budget surpluses when times are good, echoing the position of Chancellor George Osborne who has committed to enshrine that commitment in law.

Ms Kendall, who acknowledged her stance was “uncomfortable” for some in Labour, warned that the party could face another decade out of power unless it accepted the need to restore its reputation for economic responsibility.

The shadow care minister is seen as the Blairite candidate in the leadership race, which also features shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and veteran left-winger Jeremy Corbyn, and has faced accusations of adopting a “Tory-lite” platform.

She said: “Certainly throughout the course of this leadership campaign there have been some of the leadership candidates saying these are Tory values. It’s completely wrong.

“That plays into our opponents’ hands. I don’t want to be the Labour leader the Tories want, I want to be the Labour leader the Tories fear.”

Setting out the need to convince voters that Labour could be trusted with the public finances, she told an event in London’s Canary Wharf: “People expect us to act responsibly because they know the damage that’s done when that doesn’t happen. People’s taxes spent on servicing our national debt, instead of funding public services. This isn’t just a waste – it’s also a risk.

“So under my leadership Labour will not take risks with our country’s future.”