Cruddas slams Labour “Leninists” and claims party less liberal than Blair’s

Jon Cruddas has accused the Labour Party of “literally unprecedented” factionalism, claiming the right of the party are engaged in “political trophy hunting and score-settling”.

Speaking at an event hosted by the centre-left think tank Compass last night, the MP for Dagenham and Rainham claimed that the Labour First group has been “contracted to reshape the party’s democracy”, adding: “You could say that the Leninists are back in charge.”

But Labour First secretary Luke Akehurst responded that the group will not be “distracted into a spat about obscure differences between factions”, adding that it views “anyone who wants to move Labour on from the extremism and antisemitism of the Corbyn years” as an ally.

Cruddas claimed that Labour First and Progressive Britain, which come together under the umbrella organisation Labour to Win, “appear intent on… a form of political trophy hunting and score-settling”.

He claimed that the Labour leadership had “subcontracted control over the party to the most orthodox, hardline Labour faction to determine candidates and who is not a member”, and that it appeared unparalleled in Labour history.

Cruddas highlighted the case of Compass director Neal Lawson, who has been under investigation by the party and claims he faces expulsion, describing it as “almost… the equivalent of a drive-by political shooting”.

But he added: “It’s not just an attack on Neal or Compass or the soft left. Ultimately, it’s an attack on the democratic participation as a means of advancing social and economic change.”

“It’s an attack on liberal and pluralist traditions of justice pursued through democratic, constitutional and political reform and the pursuit of individual and human rights. That is what’s at stake in this debate around Compass and Neal’s role in the party,” he claimed.

The backbench MP – who will stand down at the next election – claimed that it is “difficult not to conclude that the top strata of the party was so traumatised by Corbyn and it’s support amongst the party membership… that they believe it’s their duty to shrink the party membership”.

He continued: “They cannot trust, not just the hard left elements of the membership, but the mainstream of the party membership. So they’re going to have to change the membership.”

“Kinnock’s reforms were dependent on a coalition across the right, the centre and the soft left of the party, and the right of the party now thinks that such a strategy is impossible, given the experience of Corbynism. Therefore, they must remove the soft left from the party itself,” Cruddas said.

He added: “Many see Starmerism as a New Labour restoration project. I don’t personally because New Labour had a liberal quality, which is under threat in the modern party.”

Responding to Cruddas’ comments, Akehurst said: “Labour First is 100% focused on mobilising our supporters to campaign for a Labour victory in tomorrow’s vital by-elections.

“We are not going to be provoked or distracted into a spat about obscure differences between factions. We consider anyone who wants to move Labour on from the extremism and antisemitism of the Corbyn years, and who wants to secure a Labour government, to be an ally and friend.”

The Labour Party was approached for comment.