Ken Livingstone: Tristram Hunt quitting indicates 'new era' for Labour
Ken Livingstone says Mr Hunt could never have served in a Jeremy Corbyn government as he disagreed so much with the Labour leader.
Saturday 14 January 2017 06:28, UK
Former London mayor Ken Livingstone has told Sky News the resignation of MP Tristram Hunt indicates a new era for the party.
Mr Hunt, who was an arch critic of leader Jeremy Corbyn, is to be the new director of the V&A museum in London.
His resignation after six years in Parliament means a potentially tricky by-election for Mr Corbyn's party in Stoke-on-Trent Central.
Labour had a 5,179 majority in 2015, but it could be put under pressure by UKIP, who came second.
"Tristram couldn't possibly have served in a Jeremy government because he disagrees with almost everything Jeremy stands for," said Mr Livingstone.
"If the Blair project had worked and we were a happy booming economy someone like Tristram would be on the way to becoming Prime Minister."
Mr Hunt, once seen as a rising star in the party, is the second MP critical of the party's shift to the left to quit following Jamie Reed's resignation last month.
Mr Livingstone said: "This small elite that is very much London based that dominated the Labour party under the Blair-Brown years and were in awe of the bankers and forgot the needs of ordinary working class and middle class families, that era is gone."
Mr Hunt said he had become frustrated over how Labour should respond to the shockwaves hitting mainstream politics.
But he added he had no desire to "rock the boat" and said serving in Parliament had been "both deeply rewarding and intensely frustrating".
Mr Corbyn said he was not expecting any other Labour MPs to quit, and he denied he was losing control of his party.
"The party isn't out of control," he said.
"We are a very large party with a growing membership, we have a vibrant policy-making process.
"We have a party which is very active."
Mr Livingstone said Mr Corbyn was a bit like Donald Trump and NIgel Farage in that he said what he thought.