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Liz Kendall’s campaign for the Labour leadership receives a major boost today as four female former union bosses back her for the top job.

The quartet of peers - Brenda Dean, former general secretary of Sogat, Maggie Jones former Unison director, Margaret Prosser, former deputy general secretary of the TGWU and Margaret Wall, ex boss of Amicus - say Ms Kendall is best placed to lead Labour back to power.

Supporters hope their backing will slay claims that Ms Kendall, who has been called a Tory in disguise, is the right-wing candidate in the race.

“The party needs a fresh start – and we believe that’s why Liz Kendall is the best candidate to lead Labour in the years ahead.

“Liz understands the scale of the challenge the party faces, and has the ideas, energy and strength to lead Labour back to power,” the baronesses say.

Read more: Liz Kendall defends Harriet Harman over benefit cap and tax credit cuts

(Image: PA)

They add: “The challenge facing Britain is how we build an economy that supports high-skill, high-wage work.

"The challenge facing the Labour Party is to show that we understand the future needs of our country – that’s how we won in the past, and it’s how we’ll win again.

“Liz Kendall is the right person to face both of those challenges head-on. And to take the party and the country forwards.”

The intervention comes as Ms Kendall joined the other leadership contenders, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Jeremy Corbyn, in condemning the Tory anti-union laws.

She said: “This is a blatant political attack on the labour movement. The option of withdrawing your labour if you are unhappy with your terms of employment is a basic part of the centuries-old deal for workers in Britain.

“Introducing conditions on democratic votes that politicians would not accept for their own elections is just not on.”