‘There must be a reckoning if Gordon is to survive’

Jon Cruddas, tribune of the left and foe of the BNP, tells James Forsyth his support for the PM is not unconditional, and praises James Purnell for being ‘true to himself’

Jon Cruddas, the Labour MP for Dagenham, isn’t your typical 21st-century politician. He’s relaxed, unconcerned about his appearance: the amount of spare cloth in his suits would appal a Cameron or a Clegg, and his hair is more barber-shop than salon. When I meet him in his Westminster office it quickly becomes clear that his political worries aren’t those of your average ambitious MP either. His Labour colleagues are obsessing over the wave of resignations and how best to position themselves for the coming drama, but Cruddas is keenest to talk about the campaign against the BNP.

‘You must read this book, The Ethics of Authenticity by Charles Taylor [the Canadian philosopher],’ he says. ‘It’s about the crisis of identity and material transformation and de-industrialisation.