Reid quiet on leadership ambition

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Home Secretary John Reid has again refused to say whether he will run for the Labour leadership, as to do so would be "disloyal" to Tony Blair.

Speculation has increased about who will be the next Labour leader, after the PM said his Tory counterpart would encounter a "heavyweight".

Mr Reid, asked on ITV, said he would not declare his intentions until Mr Blair announced a departure date.

He is widely seen as the most likely senior Blairite to mount a challenge.

Mr Reid said his job was to run the Home Office and any declaration of a bid for the leadership would be disloyal and discourteous to Mr Blair.

It's a democracy, it's going to be a vote Hilary BennDeputy leadership contender

"I am not going to rule myself in, out, up or down," until Mr Blair had announced his departure date, he said.

Left-winger John McDonnell is the only person who has publicly declared an intention to contend the vacancy, which is due to come by next August at the latest.

Chancellor Gordon Brown is seen as Mr Blair's likely successor and has apparently tipped International Development Secretary Hilary Benn to be his deputy.

However, Mr Benn said "that's news to me" when broadcaster Andrew Marr put the suggestion to him on BBC One's Sunday AM.

"I told Gordon I was running, I haven't asked for his support. The fact is that it is for Labour Party members to make that choice.

"I hope and believe that he is going to be the next leader of the Labour Party and the next prime minister, but the choice will be made not by an individual but by Labour Party members, MPs, trade unions affiliated to the party.

"It's a democracy, it's going to be a vote."

Important contest

Mr Benn said people should not be dismissive of the contest for the deputy leadership role.

"This contest, both for the leadership and the deputy leadership, is about the future of the country. People should be interested in that."

He said he even hoped people would join the Labour Party in order to vote on the leadership.

Anyone who wants to join the contest to succeed Mr Blair has to get the backing of 44 Labour MPs.

The candidates then go forward to a vote, with Labour MPs, Labour members and unions each making up one third of the electorate