Labour leadership: Tristram Hunt backs Liz Kendall as he rules himself out of running

 
Swipe: The shadow education secretary suggested union chiefs are trying to dictate the outcome of a leadership contest (Picture: Rex)
Ben Cawthra/REX
Joseph Watts20 May 2015
WEST END FINAL

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Senior Labour figure Tristram Hunt today ruled himself out of his party’s leadership contest and took a swipe at union chiefs he suggested are trying to dictate its outcome.

The shadow cabinet minister backed Liz Kendall as the contender with the right “leadership mettle”.

Mr Hunt warned Labour was now more out of step with the nation than at any time in the last 30 years and would “wither away” if it failed to reach voters beyond its core support.

It followed an equally strong attack from Peter Mandelson, who said would-be leaders calling for “unity” may not be willing to take hard decisions needed to win elections. The joint offensive is a direct challenge to Andy Burnham, who calls himself the “unifying candidate” and has been praised by union boss Len McCluskey.

He and the other leading contender Yvette Cooper are thought to have secured most MPs’ nominations, raising concerns other candidates may not get enough to make a final shortlist.

In a speech at the Demos think-tank Mr Hunt said Labour needed “less dictation by individuals and individual factions”.

He said: “This morning I am announcing that I will not be entering the race to be leader of the Labour Party.

“I have made a lot of calls to potential supporters ... I found that the bulk of MPs are already committed to just a couple of candidates. It is surprising that the nomination process to select a leader for at least the next five years appears to have been largely decided within at most five days of a devastating election defeat.”

Mr Hunt said that his efforts to gather names may have restricted the choice on the ballot paper, adding: “That is not a risk I am prepared to accept. So instead today, I am offering my endorsement to my colleague Liz Kendall.”

He condemned what he called a “timid” election strategy which stopped Labour reaching past its core vote.

Lord Mandelson wrote in the New York Times that people admired Labour’s “commitment to social justice” but would not sign up for “an ideological vendetta”.

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