LABOUR leadership contender Andy Burnham will today visit Guiseley as he attempts to drum up support across the north of England.

Mr Burnham (pictured) will lead a question-and-answer session at Guiseley Theatre from noon to 2pm.

He has spent the bank holiday weekend touring northern cities with a pledge to win back more than a million voters lost to Ukip at the general election in May.

The shadow health secretary, who has sought to exploit his northern heritage as a vote winner, conceded the party was guilty of "avoiding" difficult issues such as the impact of immigration.

He said: "For too long, Labour campaigners have been avoiding people's eyes when this subject comes up on the doorstep.

"We need to respond to people's legitimate concerns about the challenges that EU migration creates in some of our poorest communities."

Meanwhile, leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has also been seeking the support of voters in the north of England by helping to kick-start a new Labour group devoted to pushing regeneration projects in the party's traditional heartlands.

The Islington North MP dismissed Chancellor George Osborne's pledge to create a 'Northern Powerhouse.'

He said: "For too long talk of northern regeneration has been little more than southern hot air.

"I am delighted that our astonishing campaign this summer has given birth to Northern Futures, an organisation which will put forward policy ideas to rebalance the economy more fairly in favour of the North.