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A former Labour MP and close ally of Jeremy Corbyn has suggested that Tony Blair was to blame for the party's crushing defeat in the general election.

Laura Pidcock, who lost her North West Durham seat, said the former PM's legacy "hangs around this party like a millstone".

She claimed that voters in her constituency, which was won by the Tories on December 12, had often cited Mr Blair as a reason for not voting for her.​

It comes as a row over Labour's future leadership continues with the party facing a tussle between steering towards the centre or keeping the party close to the far-left politics of Mr Corbyn.

Mr Blair said earlier this week that Labour will be "finished" if it continues with Mr Corbyn's politics.

He accused the outgoing leader of an "absence of leadership" as he delivered a scathing speech in London chiding Mr Corbyn for his "quasi-revolutionary socialism".

But Ms Pidcock turned the blame on Mr Blair, tweeting: "Vital to learn the lessons of Labour's defeat. However, the answers will not be found at the door of New Labour’s architects.

"Blair’s legacy still hangs around this party like a millstone, especially in the North East. I heard it time and time again."

Her post was shared by her former chief of staff, Ben Sellers, who wrote: "Absolutely bang on. The really hilarious thing is propagandists for the New Labour project, laying into the members [of] Labour as it stands, thinking that we were born yesterday.

"We know they want to take us back. It’s not happening, not with 500,000 of us. Sorry about that."

Mr Sellers said that "some of the longer term causes of our defeat were down to New Labour and Blair’s record."

But Ms Pidcock's comments also drew mockery from other former Labour MPs.

Tom Blenkinsop, the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland until 2017, wrote: "Safe Parliamentary seat lost 2019. Safe Northumberland council seat lost 2017.

"All under Corbyn’s period of leadership."

Former Copeland MP Jamie Reed asked: "Have you learned nothing Laura?"

Labour won just 203 seats in the election, down 59, which became its worst election result since 1935.

Its leader Jeremy Corbyn faced widespread criticism for steering the party towards its dismal election result as well as his decision not to immediately resign.