Cruddas: 'Leadership doesn't interest me'
Labour MP Jon Cruddas has told the Fabian Society that he is not interested in standing for the Labour Party leadership after the next election.
Mr Cruddas had been mooted as a possible leadership contender, and a figure who would have been relatively untainted by the Brown government, as he has repeatedly declined to serve as a minister.
Mr Cruddas told :
"The leadership doesn't interest me. There are certain identikit characteristics which a leader has to have, and I don't have them. I don't have the certainty needed to do it. I couldn't deal with it. I have a different conception of how I want to live my life.
"I literally am not interested. A lot of blokes in and around Cabinet could do it. Harriet Harman has shown real steel. There's the Miliband lads, James Purnell and younger people...
"I'm not ambitious - that's my problem. Tony Blair, Nick Clegg and David Cameron are physiologically interchangeable. They are merging into the same person - constructing a politician that fits the rubric."
Despite his modest comments, I imagine Mr Cruddas may still be interested in the deputy leadership, following his reasonably successful campaign for the job in 2007, perhaps on a joint ticket with Alan Johnson.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Jul 2009, HM_The_Queen wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Jul 2009, Phillip wrote:Labours only chance of survival is to elect a leader and deputy who want to improve the UK and not be led by people merely interested in power for the sake of being in power like Blair and Brown.
John Cruddas and Alan Johnson would make a very effective leadership for Labour.
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Jul 2009, JunkkMale wrote:Holy trivia, Batman, hold the front page!
Oh, you have.
This just in: someone else has said they don't want to do something. We'll be sticking with this story as long as we can to avoid 'other stuff' until the latest election complication is over.
You can pop that 'we're not reporting...' thingie up top right on the home page again.
Oh, you never dropped it.
Remind me, how much cut from the education budget recently?
No news is good news. If you can arrange it.
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Comment number 4.
At 23rd Jul 2009, barriesingleton wrote:A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS
Watch out for the Postman. Proper handling of the mail relies on trust. Sincerity, dedication and not a bite mark on him . . .
But yet - a party politician through and through.
SPOIL PARTY GAMES.
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Comment number 5.
At 23rd Jul 2009, Rustigjongens wrote:Cruddas leadership does not interest me, nor does his possible leadership interest me. What does interest me is do our armed forces have enough helicopters in Afghanistan?, and if as our Prime Minister says we do have enough helicopters then why is our Defence Minister saying he is "busting a gut" to get more helicopters out to Afghanistan?.
Yesterday, Gordon Brown reasserted the UK had enough helicopters in Afghanistan (totally missed by Newsnight), today his Defence Secretary undermines the Prime Ministers claims with his assertions, now as Newsnight is supposed to report the News, I would have thought that this story is of much more importance then some internal Labour leadership story.
Come along Mr Crick, I can think of at least 10 political stories that have more merit to be discussed then this non-story.
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Comment number 6.
At 23rd Jul 2009, Rustigjongens wrote:Oh yes, and one other rather big POLITICAL story that might be of interest........the Norwich North by-election, I really do have my concerns that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ does it upmost to ignore stories that might reflect negatively on the Labour party.
Not to mention the outrageous fact that ex Speaker Martins constituents are still without an MP after such a long period, and without any date set for a by-election. One can only imagine how the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would have treated these two stories if it was the Conservatives who were A) about to be beaten in the Norwich North by-election, and B)treating UK citizens with such contempt in Scotland.
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Comment number 7.
At 23rd Jul 2009, oldnat wrote:#6 Rustigjongens
"One can only imagine how the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would have treated these two stories if it was the Conservatives who were A) about to be beaten in the Norwich North by-election, and B)treating UK citizens with such contempt in Scotland."
I suspect you are going to find out next year. The Beeb is loyal to whoever happens to be running the British State at any one time. "I to the tills will lift mine eyes, from whence doth come my licence money, and huge expense account."
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Comment number 8.
At 24th Jul 2009, seoservices wrote:I like his honesty. Maybe, he saw himself that he cannot be an effective leader if he will run for that position next election that's why he boldly said that he don't have the characteristic that a leader must have. As far as I am concern, he was just being honest. Thats it!
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Comment number 9.
At 24th Jul 2009, leftieoddbod wrote:only when the labour party uses the talent of the left will they make any headway electorally we have tried the right wing fascist end of the party and it is brought us to this sorry state
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Comment number 10.
At 24th Jul 2009, TheBlameGame wrote:Maybe this 'hold the front page' story has become more relevant after the Norwich N. results??
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