The Liberal Democrats will “come back from the dead” like the biblical character Lazarus if Jeremy Corbyn is elected leader of the Labour party, a politician has said.

Former Home Secretary Jack Straw told Sky News that Tim Farron’s party would benefit from a victory for Mr Corbyn.

“One of the effects for certain of a vote for Jeremy Corbyn, if he were to become leader, is that the party that would most benefit from this – aside from the Conservatives – is the Liberal Democrats,” he said.

“It would be like Lazarus, they would rise from the dead if Jeremy Corbyn was to become leader, rejuvenate them when they’re actually down and out and it would be very highly-divisive.”

Former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw (GETTY IMAGES)

The Lib Dems went from 62 seats in 2005 to winning just eight MPs under failed leader Nick Clegg at the2015 election.

The party was formed after the merged of the longstanding Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party - which in turn split from Labour in the 1980s during a period in which it took a left-wing approach.

Mr Straw, who was also Foreign Secretary using the Iraq War, also on Thusday morning told BBC Radio 4 that Mr Corbyn did not want to win the leadership election.

“The person who is most scared of Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader is Jeremy Corbyn,” Mr Straw said.

“The fundamental problem here is I don't think anybody remotely believes that Jeremy Corbyn could win power.”

Labour leadership: The Contenders Show all 4 1 /4 Labour leadership: The Contenders Labour leadership: The Contenders Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn started off as the rank outsider in the race to replace Ed Miliband and admitted he was only standing to ensure the left of the party was given a voice in the contest. But the Islington North MP, who first entered Parliament in 1983, is now the firm favourite to be elected Labour leader on September 12 after a surge in left-wing supporters signing up for a vote. PA Labour leadership: The Contenders Liz Kendall Liz Kendall has been labelled the Blairite candidate throughout the contest, which partly explains why she has failed to attract the support needed in a party that has drifted even further from the centre-ground of British politics since the election. She has faced criticism over her relative lack of experience, having only served as an MP since 2010 and having no experience of ministerial or shadow cabinet roles. But that very lack of experience allowed her to initially make a pitch as the only candidate offering real change and a real break from the Blair/Brown/Miliband years, until Jeremy Corbyn entered the race and shifted the whole debate to the left. She is set to finish a disappointing fourth. PA Labour leadership: The Contenders Andy Burnham Andy Burnham started out as the front-runner in the leadership election, seen as the candidate of the left until Jeremy Corbyn entered the race. The former Cabinet minister has found himself squeezed between the growing populism of Corbyn’s radical agenda and the moderate, centre-left Yvette Cooper, not knowing which way to turn. It has attracted damaging labels such as ‘flip-flop Andy’, most notably over his response to the Government’s Welfare Bill. He remains hopeful he can win enough second preference votes to take him over the 50 per cent threshold ahead of Corbyn. PA Labour leadership: The Contenders Yvette Cooper.jpg Yvette Cooper has put her experience and achievements in government at the heart of her offer to the Labour party. She played a key part in setting up Sure Start in Tony Blair’s government and has pledged to continue her record on delivering for young families by promising a “revolution in the way families are supported” by introducing universal free childcare. She has also championed her role as a full-time working mother, taking pride in telling audiences that she does the school run for the kids before her day starts as a politician. But she has been criticised for being too wooden and lacking in passion and her attacks on Liz Kendall for “swallowing the Tory manifesto” at the start of the leadership contest have been criticised for helping Jeremy Corbyn brand all three mainstream candidates as ‘Tory-lite’. PA

The Blairite politician, who stood down at the election, warned that Mr Corbyn’s economic policy “would end in catastrophe”.

New Labour and party establishment figures have launched a strategy dubbed by former spinner Alastair Campbell as “anyone but Corbyn” – or ABC – in an attempt to sink his campaign.

Despite the media push polls and constituency party nominations all point to a significant victory for Mr Corbyn – with the latest showing him 20 points ahead.