LABOUR leadership contender Liz Kendall visited Worcester today - calling the party's General Election result a "catastrophe" as she made a direct pitch to voters.

During an outspoken, forthright Q&A at the city's Cap 'N' Gown pub she delivered a withering verdict on Ed Miliband's leadership, saying Labour failed to offer a "positive, optimistic vision of the future", calling the defeat to a majority Tory Government a "tragedy".

She also took a swipe at the credentials of fellow candidate Jeremy Corbyn, claiming the far left hopeful would "leave us out of power for a decade", suggesting she wants Labour to take the centre ground by appealing to more aspirational voters.

Ms Kendall, regarded as a Blairite contender, was going to several key destinations in the Midlands today to drum up support for her leadership ballot.

"In the nicest possible way, I wish we weren't here but on those green benches (in parliament) - but we are here because we lost, and we lost badly," she said.

"I believe we lost because we did not offer a credible alternative on the country, on the economy, on taxes - we didn't run a positive campaign people could feel good about.

"We need to offer a vision people can feel part of - for some people aspiration is a dirty word but I don't see it like that."

During a raft of questions on everything from welfare reform to Scotland, to Europe and voter apathy, she said the General Election outcome was "terrible" and urged the party to avoid a lurch to the left.

"Quite frankly during the last five years we attacked everything without offering a credible alternative, and if we do that again we'll get the same result," she said.

She told the packed pub how "95 per cent of the money spent in housing goes on housing benefit", boldly saying "let's shift that from benefits to bricks" and get more homes constructed instead.

She said she was strongly in favour of welfare reform but insisted the current system "is failing to provide dignified support", and also told them she'd vote this week to continue the fox hunting ban.

During a serious critique of her own party's public standing, she also suggested the only way forward was a frank, open debate about its failings.

"I won't always say things that are comfortable or easy, but that's how it will have to be," she said.

"People out there know we care but they don't think we're credible and competent on the economy - we've got a long, tough journey."

Ms Kendall is widely thought of as the Labour candidate which concerns the Conservatives the most, although Andy Burnham is the bookies' favourite.

She was accompanied on her visit by Gloria De Piero, the shadow women's minister, who was last in Worcester in April on the party's bright pink 'battle bus'.

Mrs Piero told members of the Labour Party present she wanted to apologise for May's outcome, saying "it was nothing to do with any of you".

Councillor Joy Squires, who stood for the city's parliamentary seat, was also on hand and said "Worcester always was, always will be" a seat they have to win.