Labour's Andy Burnham launches bid to be next party leader

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham tonight became the latest Labour figure to launch a campaign for the leadership - with a promise "rediscover the beating heart" of his party.

He joins Chuka Umunna and Liz Kendall in the race to replace Ed Miliband, with the new leader to be announced at a special conference on September 12.

Following last week's disastrous general election, which prompted Mr Miliband's resignation, the former health secretary admitted Labour had "lost its emotional connection with millions of people".

In a video message posted on YouTube, Mr Burnham appeared to take a swipe at potential leadership rival Tristram Hunt, who has spoken of the need for the party to appeal to the "John Lewis couple" who shop in smart department stores, as well as its more traditional supporters.

Mr Burnham, the MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, said: "The party that I love has lost its emotional connection with millions of people.

"The way to get it back can't possibly be to choose one group of voters over another - to speak only to people on zero hour contracts or only to shoppers at John Lewis."

He added: "Our challenge is not to go left or right, to focus on one part of the country above another, but to rediscover the beating heart of Labour.

"And that is about the aspirations of everyone, speaking to them like we did in 1997."