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Richard Burgon has offered Tony Blair a free place to study at the Tony Benn School of Political Education he wants set up if he clinches power.

Labour's left-wing deputy leadership hopeful said the ex-Prime Minister, who won three elections, could "come and learn" - and students could interview him "if they so wished".

Mr Burgon was asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr if Mr Blair could give a talk at the college - which the MP has floated as an idea to teach activists the ABCs of Labour politics.

He replied: "He’d be welcome to come and learn at the college, if you like." Mr Marr said: "To teach, I’m suggesting. He did win elections."

Mr Burgon replied: "He did. I know that Tony Blair introduced tuition fees. He could come and study for free at the Tony Benn School of Political Education."

It came as Mr Burgon claimed we'd be "three years into a Labour government" by now if not for the "disloyalty and disgraceful behaviour" of MPs who led a coup against Jeremy Corbyn in 2016.

(Image: Philip Coburn)

Asked if he was the "continuity Corbyn" candidate, Mr Burgon replied: "I certainly am.

"I want to defend what I think are the three pillars of Corbynism: democratic members-led party, an anti-austerity, pro-public ownership party, and an anti-war internationalist party.

"And that’s what my three pledges as a deputy leadership candidate are based on."

Mr Burgon's claim is in direct contrast to left-wing leadership hopeful Rebecca Long-Bailey, who has repeatedly insisted she is not the "continuity Corbyn" candidate.

(Image: PA)

The Shadow Justice Secretary also admitted he "made a mistake" in calling Zionism "the enemy of peace" in 2014.

He told Mr Marr: "I made a mistake in saying that. It was a crude phrase. I said it before I was an MP.

"I think it’s important that we all get involved in the Labour Party fulfilling a moral duty to fight anti-Semitism whether it occurs in the party or in wider society."

(Image: Getty Images)

But he stood by his refusal to sign 10 demands to tackle Labour anti-Semitism from the Board of Deputies of British Jews - which are backed by every leadership hopeful.

He said: "I feel uncomfortable as a non-Jewish person signing up to a pledge which refers to other Jewish groups as fringe Jewish groups. For example, Haredi Jewish groups, what are they? LGBT Jewish groups, socialist Jewish groups. I want to work with the Board of Deputies, but with groups right across the Jewish community to fight anti-Semitism, but also a whole lot of other issues."

Mr Burgon said Labour has no future politically, morally or electorally if it drops its anti-austerity approach - and warned Jeremy Corbyn's successor as leader against moving away from the party's "socialist" policies.

(Image: Philip Coburn)

On the prospect of frontrunner Sir Keir Starmer moving the party back towards the centre ground if he became leader, Mr Burgon told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think we need to ensure we keep our socialist policies by ensuring we have a democratic members-led party."

Asked if he would be worried by such an approach, Mr Burgon replied: "I don't think there's a future for the Labour Party politically, morally or electorally by trying to triangulate our way back to power.

"We can't drop our anti-austerity politics, we can't return to the days of the controls on immigration mugs, the days of supporting illegal wars, the days of Labour leaders not supporting strikes, the days of only opposing Tory cuts and supporting austerity as long as it doesn't go too far too fast.

"We can't go back to the future."