Harman Warns Front-Runners: Don't Scapegoat

Interim Labour leader Harriet Harman has warned front-runners for Ed Miliband's job not to "scapegoat and blame" if they want the top job.

Speaking on Sky News, Ms Harman said those who want to lead the party needed to play a part in rebuilding it and tackling the Conservatives rather than pointing fingers.

It comes after a host of Blairites lined up to criticise Mr Miliband's leadership and election campaign, saying it had failed to address the aspirational middle classes.

It included shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, shadow education minister Tristram Hunt and shadow care minister Liz Kendall, who have all been tipped for the top job.

Ms Harman said: "All the party members will want to make sure that those people who are running for leadership are not actually scapegoating and blaming, they are actually also part of making sure we hold this Government to account.

"Yes, we have got to elect our new leader, but we have also got to make sure that the Tories don't think that they have got a free ride at the moment."

She said the leaders did have to take the blame for the party's failure to convince voters during the election campaign and that she had ordered a "thorough, analytical, fact-finding" inquiry to discover what had gone wrong.

The warning came after the architect of new Labour, Lord Mandelson, attacked Mr Miliband's leadership and campaign as a "giant political experiment" that had badly damaged the party.

He said Labour had made a "big mistake" in 2010 by turning its back on New Labour and had paid the price.

So far Ms Kendall has been the only MP to confirm she will run for leadership but Mr Umunna and Mr Hunt refused to give a straight answer, saying they wanted to be a big part of rebuilding the party and offering criticism of the campaign.

Shortly after Ms Harman spoke to Sky News, Mr Hunt tweeted: "The work of rebuilding @uklabour begins. Tonight the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] meets to discuss beginning that renewal. All voices across party need a hearing."

Former Army major Dan Jarvis, who had been another favourite to run, has ruled himself out of the race .

Mr Jarvis, whose wife died of cancer in 2011, said now was not the right time for him, writing in The Times: "My eldest kids had a very tough time when they lost their mum and I don't want them to lose their dad."