Jeremy Corbyn must have felt like kicking the cat this morning on hearing the news Tristram Hunt is quitting as a Labour MP to become the director of the V&A museum in London. With the polls, showing Corbyn a dead man walking the last thing he needs is a by-election.
In a resignation letter to party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Hunt said he had become frustrated over how Labour should respond to the shockwaves hitting mainstream politics. But he insisted he had “no desire to rock the boat” and said anyone who interpreted his decision to quit that way is “just plain wrong”.
The big worry for Corbyn and his followers it is not one but two by-election with Jamie Reed's resignation in December 2016, whereby he will cease to be an MP from the end of January 2017. There is also Andy Burnham MP who will be standing down creating another by-election when he stands to be the first elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in the May 2017 mayoral election.
It is going to be a tough few months for the Labour leader with the possibility he could lose all three by-elections the worst outcome for the Labour party. Could there be any more Labour MPs harbouring thoughts of resigning from politics. There are plenty of rumours swilling around the political press pack.
Hunt has a majority of 5,179 over the UKIP no way secure and Reed’s majority is worst, 2,564 over the Tories. Burnham has a healthy majority out of the three 14,096 with the Tories second in the 2015 election just 33 votes ahead of UKIP but even that majority is not safe in the crazy world of politics.
All three have been traditionally safe Labour seats and he will need a strong showing to get the wolves from the door. Meaning the upcoming by-elections could prove problematic for Jeremy Corbyn, put simply he must win and win good to hopefully turn around the negativity surrounding him. The left of the party will see it has one less opponent and a ‘Blairite’ to boot in the parliamentary labour party who stands against Corbyn and who was an arch critic of the Labour leader.
Jeremy Corbyn on Tristram Hunt - I am not expecting anyone else to resign! Others disagree with rumours of if the right job comes along they would jump ship in a hearts breath. But while Corbyn sounded relaxed at the resignation, Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson made clear his dismay that yet another Labour MP was quitting. “I am disappointed to see a talented MP like Tristram step down,” he said.
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