A former Cabinet minister delivered a devastating verdict on the state of Labour today condemning Jeremy Corbyn's flagship policies as 'crazy populism'.

Alan Johnson said the party was in the 'worst position' since the 1980s and predicted that the hard-Left takeover would 'end in tears'.

The ex-home secretary gave the withering assessment during a speech at a conference held at Brighton College in Sussex.

Mr Johnson - who also served as Education Secretary - told the audience the current situation reminded him of attempts by Trotskyists to seize control of Labour three decades ago.

Alan Johnson (file picture) said the party was in the 'worst position' since the 1980s and predicted that the hard-Left takeover would 'end in tears'

Mr Corbyn warned that the leadership of Mr Corbyn (pictured at PMQs yesterday) would 'end in tears'

'We are in a worse position than we were in the early 80s, when Militant tried to take over the party,' he said.

'Ever since we were formed in 1900 by 27 trade unionists in London, ever since then people to our left and people who believed in revolutionary socialism, which the Labour party never has - we believe in democratic socialism - have tried to come into the party.

'That's not saying that everyone who's come in since Jeremy (Corbyn) won is a revolutionary socialist. But all the people who were chucked out when Militant was around are back in.'

Mr Johnson questioned the purpose of pro-Corbyn group Momentum, saying: 'Why do we need a second organisation within an organisation, particularly when it is just a fan club for the leader?'

He said the Labour leader had a 'particular niche' as a backbencher and argued that two factors had fuelled his successful bid for the leadership.

He cited a move by former leader Ed Miliband to allow people to join the party for £3 and vote in contests.

The decision by senior Labour figures such as Margaret Beckett and Sadiq Khan to broaden the field of candidates by nominating Mr Corbyn for the leadership - even though they did not support him - was also critical.

Mr Johnson acknowledged that 'there's something about some hope' that he has given young people, but added: 'I think in the end, it will all end it tears for the party.'

Mr Johnson, who was part of the Labour government that introduced £3,000 tuition fees, said Mr Corbyn's pledge to spend billions of pounds scrapping fees was 'a crazy policy'.

Jeremy Corbyn's decision to hold talks with Die Linke's leader has underlined the huge rift in Labour over his stance on foreign policy

'The tuition fee system is the best way of ensuring there is a contribution from the students to higher education that is fair and equitable and that has helped to close the social gap,' he said.

'We have pledged to abolish it, which will cost £11bn. It's a crazy piece of populism.'

The comments came as Mr Corbyn faced a major backlash after boasting about his close ties to a far-Left party in Germany that wants to disband NATO and backed Russia over the annexation of Crimea.

Labour MPs and activists voiced outrage after the leader tweeted a picture of himself meeting the chief of Die Linke, Katja Kipping.

They pointed out that Die Linke was the new incarnation of the communist party that enforced the brutal Stasi regime in East Germany.

Senior figures have previously demanded the abolition of NATO in favour of a security alliance with Moscow, and insisted that Crimea should be recognised as part of Russia.

Die Linke is also in direct competition with the SPD - which is UK Labour's sister party in Germany.