BLAIRITE Labour leadership hopeful Liz Kendall insisted yesterday that she had no intention of stepping aside as the race to succeed Ed Miliband continued to heat up.

According to a recent poll, Ms Kendall is not only lagging far behind frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn, but rivals Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper too.

But the shadow minister for care and older people told around 25 supporters at the Waterloo Gardens tea room in Cardiff yesterday: “Is there plenty of fight left in my campaign? Oh God, yes! You should never stop fighting for what you believe in.”

The 44-year-old Leicester West MP also refuted suggestions that fierce debate during the leadership contest could lead to a split in the Labour Party.

“There will be no split regardless of the result … I would no more leave this party than I would leave my own family,” she said.