Labour is doomed to repeat the mistakes of Ed Miliband if today's closed-door hustings are anything to go by, modernisers warn

Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper send a different message in private than they do in public, according to Liz Kendall's team

There are fears that the Unite union are trying to manipulate the Labour leadership contest into a two-horse race between Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper (Rex)

Labour MPs were surprised to hear leadership front-runners Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper warn against a radical departure from Ed Miliband's strategy, insiders at today’s closed-door hustings of the Parliamentary Labour Party revealed.

Mr Burnham, the current favourite to replace Ed Miliband as leader, told Labour MPs they needed to “take care not to distance ourselves from the last five years”, while Ms Cooper warned colleagues: “don't fall into the trap that problems in the economy were down to us overspending".

An MP backing the modernising candidate Liz Kendall said their comments in private were proof the pair were unwilling to wipe the slate clean after Mr Miliband’s disastrous election result – the worst in nearly 30 years – and a sign they were saying one thing in private but another in public.

Labour leadership hopeful Liz Kendall is seen as the 'change candidate' in the contest (PA)

Ms Kendall struck a very different tone, telling Labour MPs they stand to lose the next election “if we stick with the politics of the last election”.

Another MP backing Ms Kendall - Pat McFadden, who was shadow Europe minister under Mr Miliband and served in Gordon Brown’s government - said the leadership contest was a battle between “continuity vs change” and said it was only Ms Kendall that offered a real departure from the past.

“It’s a choice between a new, different approach or more of the same,” he added in a warning to colleagues over Mr Burnham and Ms Cooper. She was the only one willing to say the “hard truths” about the failure of Mr Miliband’s campaign, another figure at the meeting said.

Mr Burnham’s team insisted he was proposing “big changes” when it came to “difficult issues like immigration” and insisted his warning against distancing itself from Mr Miliband’s campaign was referring to inequality, a topic the former Labour leader is likely to focus on as he bids to carve a new career in parliament.

In contrast, Ms Kendall said the party needed a fundamental break with the past. “I don't want to be the leader that plays into David Cameron or George Osborne's hands,” she said in a pointed criticism of Mr Miliband’s strategy. “I'm not going to repeat the mistakes of the last five years.”

She added: "We didn't lack lots of policies over the last five years, we lacked a clear vision. That the job of a strong leader - to set the direction and build a strong team. That's what I will do.

Mr Burnham warned his party against distancing itself from Ed Miliband's record on inequality (PA)

"Through this leadership contest, we should debate, decide, unite - in that order.

"We could have won in 2015. We can win in 2020 but only if we make the change we need. If we stick with the politics of the last election we will lose the next. My politics are inseparable from the party and the country I love."

The hustings event was a further sign of the increasing tensions between the leading three contenders and sets the tone for a difficult three months for the party ahead of the announcement of the new leader on September 12.

Harriet Harman is serving as interim Labour leader until a new figure is elected on September 12 (Susannah Ireland)

They appeared alongside the two outsiders in the contest – Mary Creagh and left-winger Jeremy Corbyn – in an internal debate with Labour MPs ahead of the nominations opening tomorrow.

Each candidate must win the backing of at least 35 of the party’s MPs to progress to the one-member one vote election. Nominations close on Monday 15 June.