Downer says Beazley will be back leading Labor Party

CANBERRA - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer today tipped Kim Beazley would be back as Opposition leader well before the next election.

Mr Downer said the writing was on the wall for Opposition Leader Mark Latham.

"Regardless of what Mark Latham may be like as a person or as an individual, I have never been a great admirer of him as a politician," he told the Nine Network.

"I have always thought the better option for the Labor Party is Kim Beazley and I still think they don't have any alternative.

"Whatever Mr Beazley may say now and others may say now, I think in 12 to 15 months time, by the end of next year, they will almost certainly go back to Mr Beazley."

Mr Latham was re-elected unopposed a month ago following the party's election defeat and has said he is confident he has the support of his colleagues.

Mr Beazley has denied any interest in leading the party again.

Mr Downer said Mr Latham had two essential problems.

"One of them is clearly that within the party there are now people out to get him and leaking by shadow ministers to the Bulletin magazine and the like is an indication of that," he said.

"Secondly, he has a deeper and more serious problem and that is that he went to the last election -- and this was less than two months ago -- with a whole series of policies which he said were absolutely vital to revitalise Australia and rehabilitate our country.

"Now he is saying 'well actually I don't really stand by those policies any more -- we are going to have to change all those policies'."

Mr Downer said that a leader could not do that.

"As a leader you cannot say to the public 'I really passionately believe in these things' and then two months later say 'Actually I have decided to change my mind now'," he said.

"That is a very unconvincing way to lead a political party."

- AAP