'Labour damaged by infighting'

Published on Tuesday 22 June 2010 21:07

LABOUR leadership contender Andy Burnham has blamed "factional politics" between supporters of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for the party's fall from power.

The former health secretary said that "infighting" between Blair and Brown supporters had "sapped Labour's morale and energy."

On a visit to the Scottish Parliament, where he met MSPs, Mr Burnham promised that he would unify the party.

He described his four rivals in the leadership election as "good friends" but said that he would demand loyalty across the party if he became Labour leader.

Mr Burnham said: "Factionalism sapped the party's morale and energy. Some of the infighting was a distraction from Labour's main job."

Mr Burnham went on to say that he would make a Labour win at next year's Scottish Parliament elections his priority if he was elected leader.

He said he would look at providing more resources from Labour's London headquarters for leader Iain Gray.

Mr Burnham also promised to make Labour less "London-centric" and said he would do everything he could to unseat First Minister Alex Salmond's SNP administration.