Jon Cruddas

Jon Cruddas was a Labour policy officer for most of the 1990s, acting as a key mediator between Blair and the trade unions, with considerable impact: Cruddas was a central player in the introduction of the national minimum wage. Even so, Cruddas would end up as one of Blair’s most outspoken critics from within the party’s own ranks. Cruddas subsequently ran unsuccessfully for the deputy leadership in 2007, but turned down a cabinet post offered by Brown the same year. Cruddas became disillusioned with his party’s direction and voted against the government on university tuition fees. He has described his decision to support the Iraq War as a mistake. In addition, Cruddas has stated that the use of mass immigration helped contribute to working class disaffection, and that this in turn enabled Brexit. He has written several books on equality and economics. Cruddas served as the party’s policy coordinator from 2010 until 2015. He then nominated Jeremy Corbyn in the 2015 leadership election but the following year backed Owen Smith in his unsuccessful bid to replace him. In the 2020 Labour leadership election, Cruddas threw his weight behind Lisa Nandy.