MP Andy Burnham spoke to a crowd of supporters last night in an impassioned speech as to why he should be the next Labour leader.

The Leigh MP, who was accompanied on stage at Leigh Sports Village by Sir Ian McCartney, said he is standing to make the party the "people's party" once more and to take it out of the "Westminster bubble."

In the crowd Mr Burnham was supported by his family and friends and was questioned by supporters some who said they felt disulussioned by the NHS, the newly announced budget and many who said they were scared as to what would be left of the party in 2020 after five years under a conservative government.

Mr Burnham, who has been an MP in Leigh for 15 years and has also served under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown said the party has for too long "hung it's head" and needs to now "get up off it's knees and be a true opposition".

He said: "We have got to do a better job of being the opposition.

"The single biggest mistake that we made in the last five years was letting his myth of Labour's mess to be hung around our heads- too frightened to take it off.

"What I want to do here in my own back yard of Leigh is to make a change.

" The first change I will make to labour is to make us a real opposition because there are people out there who are struggling.

"They have been hit very hard by what is happening and the first question will be who is speaking for me?

"We just had a budget yesterday which will be pretty devastating for people here and across the north west.

"Most people here will be losers not winners especially with the tax credits.

"This fella Osborne is who I expect to be taking on in the next general election and do you know what I'm going to show him what a proper northern power house is like."

The bookies favourite to become labour leader, who is up against candidates Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Jeremey Corbyn said he would also change the style of politics and fight the budget which he said had just "pulled the rug out underneath the younger generation".

He said he has launched a campaign to make the national minimum wage for all not just those over 25.

Speaking about the people of Leigh the father of three said they were his "bread and butter" and if he became labour leader that would not change.

He added: " I believe I am going to win and the time is right for a leader from the North West of England.

"I am not going to let you down.

" I will never forget where I come from and who has helped me get there.

"Leigh people are my bread and butter and that will never change.

"Millions of people have lost their emotional connection with this party, but it's us who have moved away from them not them from us.

"Labour has got to go back to the people who supported it and sustained it and offer them hope and some real answers to the challenges they face.

"I will change the look, sound and feel of this party and get us up off our knees and fight back."