Yvette Cooper wants care worker wage rise

Care workers should have a higher minimum wage, the Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper has said.

She also criticised plans by Chancellor George Osborne to introduce what he called a "living wage", saying the proposals did not go far enough.

And she called for "protest-free buffer zones" around abortion clinics to prevent women from being "intimidated or threatened".

The other leader candidates are Jeremy Corbyn, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham.

Mr Osborne pledged to lift the minimum wage from the current hourly rate of £6.50 to £7.20 from next April, gradually rising to £9 by 2020.

At the general election, Labour pledged to lift the minimum wage to £8 an hour by 2020.

Labour leadership contest

Labour leadership candidates (l-r): Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn.

• Who are the candidates? Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn, Liz Kendall

• Dates: Ballot papers will be sent out on 14 August; voting can take place by post or online. They must be returned by 10 September. The result is on 12 September

• Who can vote? All party members, registered supporters and affiliated supporters - including those joining via a union

• What is the voting system? The Alternative Vote system is being used so voters are asked to rank candidates in order of preference

• How does it work? If no candidate gets 50% of all votes cast, the candidate in fourth place is eliminated. Their second preference votes are then redistributed among the remaining three. If there is still no winner, the third place candidate is eliminated with their second preferences (or third in the case of votes transferred from the fourth place candidates) redistributed. It is then a head-to-head between the last two candidates

At-a-glance profiles of the four contenders

But Ms Cooper said the chancellor's figures should be higher and in line with those put forward by the Living Wage Foundation, which currently recommends £7.85 an hour, and £9.15 in London.

She said the rise should be rolled out first to social care workers, and that it could be paid for by closing tax loopholes for large firms and hedge funds.

For adults aged 21 and over the national minimum wage of £6.50 an hour, but for those aged 18 to 20 it is £5.13.

Miss Kendall has also campaigned on the subject, calling for new powers to create a "real living wage society".

Repeating her "buffer zones" call, which she made last year, Ms Cooper warned against "US-style abortion wars" in the UK.

She added: "No matter how strongly protesters feel about abortion themselves, they don't have the right to harass, intimidate or film women who need to make their own very personal decision with their doctors."

Meanwhile, Miss Kendall and Mr Burnham have released new campaign videos in the battle to replace Ed Miliband as Labour leader.

Andy Burnham's campaign video included a photo with his wife, Marie-France, in their student days

Liz Kendall penned an "open letter to the Labour Party"

In her "open letter to the Labour Party", Miss Kendall says she is the candidate with the broadest appeal and says Labour needs to "regain the trust of voters who've turned their backs on us".

"I wasn't born into the Labour Party, I chose it," she said.

"Just like we're going to have to persuade millions of Britons to do at the next general election."

Mr Burnham's video features testimonies from his friends and family.