Labour leadership: Jon Cruddas fears Jeremy Corbyn's 'Trotskyist tribute act' as voting closes

A Jeremy Corbyn leadership could turn Labour into a "Trotskyist tribute act" which would lead to collapse, one of the party's top thinkers has warned. Jon Cruddas, a former Labour policy chief, made the remarks ahead of voting closing at noon on 10 September in the party's leadership contest.

Cruddas, who served as Ed Miliband's policy coordinator between 2012 and May 2015, said Corbyn was an interesting prospect but told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that he was worried the left-winger's leadership "might turn [Labour] into an into an early '80s Trotskyist tribute act that could collapse".

The Dagenham and Rainham MP also commented on Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister who urged Corbyn supporters to get a "heart transplant". "At some stage the Labour Party is going to have to rehabilitate Blair and his legacy," Cruddas said. The backbencher also claimed the reds "haven't had much to say" since the departure of Blair from the British political scene in 2007.

The comments come ahead of a special Labour conference in London on 12 September where Miliband's successor will be announced. Corbyn has been the front runner throughout the latter half of the contest, with opinions polls and local party nominations putting the socialist ahead.

The Islington MP has won over the support of Labour's left-wing, with the likes of Unite and Unison backing the veteran parliamentarian. The 66-year-old, with policies like quantitative easing for people, is expected to take the reds back to their "Old Labour" past. But his leadership rivals, including Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, have called on members to stick together whatever the result.