The public did not trust Labour to deliver on many of its election commitments, two of the those vying to succeed Jeremy Corbyn have said.
Sir Keir Starmer said its manifesto was "over-loaded" and hampered Labour's ability to present itself as a "force for good and a force for change".
And Jess Phillips said Labour lost trust "on some of the basics", such as its "not believable" broadband pledge.
Five candidates have so far entered the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.
Emily Thornberry, Lisa Nandy and Clive Lewis have also been making their initial pitches over the weekend.
Ms Thornberry told Sky's Sophy Ridge if Labour "can't win elections then we are failing this party" while Ms Nandy said radicalism was "irrelevant" unless it helped people with their daily needs and concerns.
- Labour's ruling body is due to meet on Monday to decide the timetable for the election. Would-be candidates have to be nominated by more than 20 MPs and must also get the backing of at least 5% of constituency parties or three affiliated bodies - two of which must be trade unions.
On Brexit
Ms Thornberry said Labour had been wrong to allow the Conservatives to fight the election on the "single issue" of Brexit. She told Sky News that the opposition's focus should now be on ensuring the UK had a relationship with Europe in the coming years that's "going to work for jobs and the economy". Sir Keir, who like Ms Thornberry was a supporter of another referendum, suggested the issue of EU membership was now closed and the party needed to move on from an argument between Remain and Leave. But Ms Phillips suggested the door should not entirely be shut on the UK rejoining the bloc at some point, saying a "wait and see" policy was sensible and she would "always fight" for something if it made the UK safer and better off.On military action
The candidates have also been pressed on the UK's relationship with the US following the killing of Iran's top military leader, Qasem Soleimani, in Iraq. Ms Phillips said people were "not shedding any tears" over the Iranian general's death and, while she opposed the Iraq War, she would always support the deployment of British forces abroad if there was a "moral case" for it. "What we have to make sure is that when we take action, it is lawful, proportionate and there is a moral case for it. If those questions can be answered, then I would absolutely take action to protect British lives." However, Sir Keir said the UK should never find itself in the position of "blindly following the Americans". If he became prime minister, he said he would pass legislation to circumscribe the ability of governments to take military action. He suggested it would have to pass three tests - if it was lawful, had been supported by Parliament and was part of a viable plan.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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