Tristram Hunt may bring great Victorian ambition back to the V&A

The historian of the 19th century could move the museum away from pop culture towards big ideas about art and history

Tristram Hunt’s resignation letter reads like the kind of fantasy epistle people dream of sending the boss on a Friday morning after another awful week at the office. He doesn’t have to strain himself to sound like he’s got a new life planned out, starting with a journey to find himself in Anglesey. Instead he calmly explains he has just been appointed director of the V&A.

So farewell Jeremy, as he has no need to say. Nor does he have to boast about the salary and sneer “cap that”. For the message is clear enough that he is leaving Corbyn’s ghost train for a glamorous top job at one of the best museums in the world. He’ll be musing over which William Morris wallpaper to choose for his office while former comrades are reading their latest batch of Twitter abuse and awaiting the reselection meeting. Nice for him.

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