by Our News Desk

JEREMY Corbyn’s rivals reacted sourly to growing support for the leftwinger’s leadership bid yesterday by insisting they would not include him in the shadow cabinet.

Unpopular Blairite Liz Kendall, who has consistently polled bottom with just 11 constituency Labour party (CLP) regions backing her for leader, said she would deny Mr Corbyn a place on the shadow cabinet if she won.

And aides to frontrunner Andy Burnham said he could not “envisage any circumstances” where Mr Corbyn would be on his frontbench, insisting the shadow health secretary was joking when he told a BBC debate he “might be open to listening.”

Fellow candidate Yvette Cooper said she didn’t want to “prejudge” the issue.

But Mr Corbyn, who has shot into the lead in terms of party support with 70 CLPs backing him, rose above another weekend of mudslinging, even telling BBC1’s Sunday Politics that Ms Kendall “would be there” in his shadow cabinet.

The comments followed on as former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, one of 34 MPs who nominated Mr Corbyn, named Mr Burnham as the candidate most likely to win back power in 2020 — comparing him to former PM Tony Blair.

Dame Margaret, who led the party for a brief spell after the sudden death of John Smith, wrote in the Sunday Mirror: “I saw Tony Blair come from being an inexperienced shadow minister to someone who led Labour to victory.

“I am convinced Andy can build a movement to win again and change Britain for the better, to hold Cameron and Osborne to account and to win in 2020.”

Ladbrokes said it had cut its odds on a Corbyn victory to just 10/3 — a far cry from the 100/1 offered at the start of the contest — making him the third favourite behind Mr Burnham at 10/11 and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper at 11/4, but ahead of Liz Kendall out at 10/1.

The bookmaker said if the “relentless” backing continues, “it’s only a matter of time before Corbyn moves into second spot in the betting.”

Reports yesterday suggested some Labour MPs are plotting a coup to oust Mr Corbyn if he wins the new one-member-one-vote election in September.