Labour MP Jon Cruddas is a big, but slightly unusual, political beast. One of the candidates for Deputy Labour leader in 2007, he won the first round of voting and subsequently turned down an offer of a cabinet place, going on to become a vocal critic of the Government’s immigration, economic and education policies.
This year the popular 48-year-old could have stood for Mayor of London or even party leader, but chose to remain in the background and take part in the philosophical battle over the soul of the party. And yet, despite being seen as the most Left-wing senior Labour figure, the Catholic second-generation Irish politician has a considerable following among conservatives.
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