Lord Mandelson says in Corbyn Labour has 'exchanged one loser for an even worse one'

Lord Mandelson has advised Labour party members opposed to Jeremy Corbyn to wait until the new leader is rejected by the public before ousting him. In comments seen by the Guardian newspaper, the former Labour spin doctor urged party colleagues to wait until Corbyn had demonstrated his "unelectability at the polls".

In a paper circulated to political associates, the former adviser to prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown wrote: "In choosing Corbyn instead of Ed Miliband, the general public now feel we are just putting two fingers up to them, exchanging one loser for an even worse one. We cannot be elected with Corbyn as leader.

"Nobody will replace him, though, until he demonstrates to the party his unelectability at the polls. In this sense, the public will decide Labour's future and it would be wrong to try and force this issue from within before the public have moved to a clear verdict."

Mandelson is one of a series of senior party figures including Blair and Brown who warned against the election of Corbyn, a hard-left candidate who opposes many of the New Labour's key policies. Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, was elected leader with a landslide 60% of the vote in September.

The Labour Party has not commented on the remarks.