Yvette Cooper officially launches Labour leadership campaign

Ms Cooper, who is MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, will hold the event for Labour members at Castleford Tigers’ Wheldon Road stadium from 5.30pm.

The shadow home secretary is one of four candidates who have confirmed they will seek to replace Ed Miliband.

She joins Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, Liz Kendall, MP for Leicester West and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham in the contest.

Ms Cooper said: “We, as a party, have got to work harder and have to do more to show how much help we can give hard-working people who are ambitious for the future - and I intend to do just that.

“I want to stand because I want us to win in 2020. I want us to reach out and win back votes from UKIP, from the Lib Dems and that work starts now.

“A lot of people across the country were depending on getting a Labour government and we didn’t do that.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now. We are powerless but we have got to make sure we are fighting all the way to support working families across the country to win back votes.”

Ms Cooper, who remains shadow home secretary, said she would look to create jobs across the country and protect the NHS if selected to succeed Mr Miliband.

She said: “I think I would bring experience and ideas for the future to the role.

“The key responsibilities as I see it are making sure we get good, high-quality jobs in our communities, building the National Health Service and securing investment in towns and cities across the country.

“I also think it’s time to shake up the Westminster old boys. It would be great to be the first ever female leader of the Labour party.”