LABOUR leadership contender Liz Kendall said she was “thrilled” to be backed by both Newport’s MPs, and revealed she once spent a week working at the South Wales Argus.

Newport West’s Paul Flynn, Newport East’s Jessica Morden and Blaenau Gwent’s Nick Smith were among 41 Labour MPs to publicly nominate her.

“I’m thrilled to have their support – it’s very important to me,” Ms Kendall said. “It’s going to be tough to regain people’s trust for 2020, and I think they’ve supported me because they believe I can be a fresh start.”

At a visit to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay yesterday, the Leicester West MP revealed she had once worked at this newspaper. “When I was at university I managed to get on one of the management courses for Express newspapers and did a week at the South Wales Argus – more in sales than journalism though. I certainly enjoyed it.”

“I lived in Newport for the whole week but I can’t remember where – I would have been around 21, which is a long time ago. I’m 44 now. I’d like to come back.”

Visiting Wales as her campaign to become Labour’s first female leader began, she spoke to Labour AMs including Caerphilly’s Jeff Cuthbert and Blaneau Gwent’s Alun Davies about how Labour can win back support after the Conservatives’ majority in May’s General Election.

“People didn’t trust us on the economy or with their taxes and we didn’t have a positive alternative for the future that everybody could feel part of,” she said.

Ukip gained a significant vote share in many Welsh constituencies including Torfaen where they nudged behind the Tories in third place.

“I’m very concerned about Ukip,” Ms Kendall said. “Too many people and parts of the country feel left behind and left out. Our global economy is opening up huge opportunities for some people but leaving too many people behind.”

If Liz Kendall beats Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Jeremy Corbyn, she will become Labour’s first full-time female leader.

“You might think I’m a bit biased but I do think it’s about time we had a woman leader,” she said. “We’ve had brilliant Labour women – Margaret Beckett, Harriet Harman now. We are a modern party reflective of the country.”

But she said she was not concerned about being compared to Margaret Thatcher: “I’m nothing like her. Take a look at me!. It doesn’t worry me in the slightest. It just shows we need more women leaders.”

The NHS in Wales has been criticised for long waiting times and a lack of routine access to cancer drugs available in England. Ms Kendall said the debate should be balanced, as a good proportion of patients in Wales are seen quicker for cancer treatment than across the border.

She added: “What we won’t do is take a Tory government and a Tory PM who makes the disgraceful comment that Offa’s Dyke is the line between life and death. I think that is appalling and beneath anybody who wishes to be prime minister of this country.

“There are the same issues in Wales as in England – people are living much longer. We now have people with two or three or more long-term chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The only way we are going to get better results is if we shift services more into the community and towards prevention.”

The English and Welsh Labour parties should not become independent, she said, saying the two have more power together.

But she said it was time for a permanent settlement offering more devolution: “Those days of clicking your fingers in Westminster and thinking you can make change happen – it doesn’t work. It doesn’t in Leicester, let alone in Newport or Cardiff or anywhere else in the country.”