Andy Burnham is to praise Jeremy Corbyn, his closest rival in the Labour leadership battle, , while bemoaning the timidity of the Party as “frightened by its own shadow.”
In a speech on Tuesday entitled, "Recapturing the spirit of ‘45", the shadow health secretary will ask why he, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are all being outstripped by their fiercest competitor, while criticising the modern Labour Party for its fearfulness.
"This week marks the seventieth anniversary of the election of the Attlee Government," he is expected to say. "You would think that would be cause for joyous celebration, but I mark it with a sad realisation that the modern Labour Party could not have created the NHS.
"It has become frightened by its own shadow and does not have the courage or capacity to do it. It has become a purveyor of retail politics, trading in the devalued currency of policy gimmicks designed to grab a quick headline but which don't change the world.
"It is in this context that we need to judge the current leadership race and ask why Jeremy Corbyn is having such an impact. The worse possible response to his impact is to resort to negativity and dire warnings of ‘oblivion’. To do that is to misread the mood of the moment.
Corbyn is expected to be complimented by Burnham on Tuesday
Burnham will claim members are yearning for a break with the bad habits of Labour's past, and are deserting the party because they have become sick of politicians speaking in sound bites.
"There's also a deeper yearning for a different kind of politics, for ideas of the scale that the Attlee Government bought forward," the Leigh MP will add.
"Ideas that don't just change headlines, but change the world. At the moment when the challenges we are facing are getting bigger, modern politics has gone in the opposite direction – pettier and smaller."
"We live in a century when peoples’ dreams are dying - of a decent home; of a secure job; of a good standard of living; of prospects for their kids at the end of school and of quality care for their parents.
"But they are not being given any answers by the identikit politicians appearing on their TV screens. The people haven't drifted away from Labour, Labour has drifted away from them.
"I have lived through this and become increasingly disillusioned. That is why I am standing, because I want to change that and get us back in touch.
“We've lost the confidence to think big and provide substantial answers to the modern challenges. We will only win again, when we inspire people with our ideas. That speak to all people in all parts of our country."