Labour leadership contest: Tristram Hunt rules himself out as he backs Liz Kendall in race

Shadow education minister Tristram Hunt has ruled himself out of the leadership race contest, endorsing Liz Kendall, shadow minister for care and older people. 

 

Hunt held a press conference today in which he said he was not prepared to stand after “the bulk of MPs are already committed to just a couple of candidates” – namely Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper. 

 

He expressed concern that the Labour leadership contest was already too restricted, saying he was surprised by the speed at which the contest had focused around the front-runners. 

 

Instead he is backing Kendall, who he has known for 20 years, saying she had “the right ideas and the right leadership mettle”. 

 

She understood the nature of the crisis affecting Labour, he added, and praised her ability within economics, social justice and education. 

 

Kendall has only been an MP since 2010, when she took the seat at Leicester West.  

 

Hunt's decision not to pursue the leadership contest comes a day after fellow Labour MP Dan Jarvis also ruled himself out, throwing his weight behind shadow health minister Burnham.