THREE Bradford MPs think Labour should have its first elected woman leader in its history, while one is backing left-winger Jeremy Corbyn. Andrew Robinson reports.

THE bookies may be tipping Jeremy Corbyn - with one reportedly already paying out on bets - but the left-winger can only count on support from one Bradford MP.

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain recently introduced the member for Islington North at a rally in Bradford as "the next leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister."

Mr Hussain supported his colleague's "radical" stance in opposing welfare reform and "illegal wars" and told

supporters Mr Corbyn was a man not afraid to oppose "ideological cuts".

However, in backing Mr Corbyn, he is a lone voice among Bradford MPs.

Bradford West MP Naz Shah and Bradford South MP Judith Cummins support fellow Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper.

"I think she has got the ability to unite the party and to take the fight to the Tories," said Ms Shah.

"There needs to be a good Opposition because, in her words, Cameron has a woman problem and she will make sure he has a bigger woman problem. I have seen her (Ms Cooper) perform in the chamber to expose the Tories. She has the skill set."

But if Mr Corbyn does win, the decision should be respected.

"I have got respect for him; he is one of the great MPs, a good guy, but I am not going to speculate on what is going to happen."

She is undecided on her second preference for leader but believes campaigning MP Tom Watson would make a good deputy.

Judith Cummins has also backed Yvette Cooper, with Andy Burnham as her second preference.

She said: "I would like to see Yvette as contender to be Prime Minister-in-waiting for the Labour Party. She has leadership skills and the vision to get us elected.

"She is a Yorkshire MP and I have worked alongside her over the years. She is a good constituency MP. I think Andy Burnham is a good choice as well."

Ms Cummins called for a post-election review to assess the impact of allowing £3 registered supporters a vote.

Concern about the impact of cut-price supporters is shared by former Labour MPs Gerry Sutcliffe and Ann Cryer.

Mr Sutcliffe, ex-MP for Bradford South, said the eventual winner will be in a difficult position because of doubts that £3 members had "tainted" the process.

He is backing Andy Burnham, with Yvette Cooper his second preference.

"Either of those two can do what needs to be done. Andy can be the person that brings people together. If he can't, Yvette can."

Mr Sutcliffe dismissed the suggestion that his choices for leadership are damaged by their association with the previous Labour administration.

"Folklore is starting to develop that the Labour government didn't do anything; it did quite a lot to be proud of. It is wrong to denigrate what it did. There was the minimum wage and family-friendly employment law. There were mistakes around the Iraq war."

He has reservations over the leadership election process.

"The election was right, in terms of the diversity of opinion, but it has stretched out for too long. It's allowed people who don't have the party's interest at heart to taint the process. The £3 (membership voters) was the wrong thing to do."

Former Keighley MP Ann Cryer shares his concerns about the £3 members but denied this would leave a cloud over the winner.

"There won't be a cloud hanging over them, only the Press think that. It is unfortunate that people can pay £3 and immediately have access to electing a leader."

It remained to be seen whether the process had been "infiltrated" by supporters of the Socialist Workers' Party, Conservative Party, "or even the BNP and UKIP," she added.

"Perhaps we'll never know whether people have infiltrated."

Mrs Cryer would not say who got her vote. She counts Jeremy Corbyn as a friend and considers herself a radical.

"Jeremy has been a friend for a long time but I am still not saying who I'm voting for. If Jeremy wins the election I will do my best to support him."

Asked if a victory for Corbyn would be a disaster for the party, she said: "No, it won't. We are a broad based party. Whoever wins, the members of the shadow cabinet won't all have been to one school and one university. They will be varied, unlike the party now in power."

Batley and Spen Labour MP Jo Cox was not available for comment but a spokesman said she had nominated Mr Corbyn to get him on the leadership list but would not be voting for him as leader.

Ms Cox is "undecided" who to back as leader but was "leaning towards" Liz Kendall, MP for Leicester West, the spokesman added.