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Harman denies leadership ambition Blears tells cabinet 'get a grip'
(about 8 hours later)
Labour's deputy leader, Harriet Harman, has insisted she had no ambition to replace Gordon Brown as prime minister. Hazel Blears has broken ranks to warn cabinet colleagues to stop positioning for a Labour leadership race.
She told BBC's Newsnight there was "not an iota of truth" she had positioned herself to take over the top job. In a speech to constituents in Salford, Ms Blears told ministers to "get a grip" and stop jockeying to replace Gordon Brown when he steps down.
Mr Brown has dismissed as "gossip" newspaper speculation that he could step down to take up a new role as global financial regulator. The communities secretary said such behaviour played into the hands of the Tory leader David Cameron.
He told his monthly press conference there was no possibility of such a job and the recession was his priority. It comes as Harriet Harman insisted there was "not an iota of truth" she was positioning for the top job.
Ms Harman told Newsnight: "I'm proud to be Gordon's loyal deputy and that's exactly what I am. Labour's deputy leader has been at the centre of a stream of newspaper stories in recent days, amid claims by unnamed cabinet colleagues she is preparing the ground for a leadership bid after the next election.
'Utter nonsense' Some newspapers have even speculated about a "stop Harriet" candidate, with one touting Treasury Minister Yvette Cooper as a possible contender.
"I'm determined to support Gordon as the prime minister of this country, as he takes the country through what are very difficult economic times. Internal strife
Ms Harman attempted to dampen down speculation in an interview with BBC Two's Newsnight.
She said: "I'm determined to support Gordon as the prime minister of this country, as he takes the country through what are very difficult economic times.
"And people in my constituency and people in the Labour Party would expect me to do that, and that is exactly what I'm doing, and nothing else.""And people in my constituency and people in the Labour Party would expect me to do that, and that is exactly what I'm doing, and nothing else."
The Guardian reported earlier this week that Mr Brown was being touted as a global regulator - prompting a flurry of Labour leadership speculation. Divided parties don't win the trust of the people Hazel Blears
Harriet Harman: 'I'm proud to be Gordon's loyal deputy' But in a speech on Thursday, Ms Blears openly acknowledged internal strife over the leadership issue and called on colleagues to end their briefing war.
Guardian columnist Jackie Ashley wrote that German chancellor Angela Merkel was pushing for Mr Brown to leave Downing Street to head a new global financial regulation body. Ms Blears, who was defeated by Ms Harman in Labour's deputy leadership contest, said: "My message to my colleagues is simple: get a grip.
The story was reported by political blogs to have been planted by Ms Harman as part of a campaign to destabilise Mr Brown. "Our first loyalty is to the British people. If they think we are more interested in our own jobs than theirs, they will not forgive us.
But this was denied by Downing Street, which described it as "utter nonsense". "If the mindset is all about what happens after some future election defeat, then the game's up."
The prime minister's official spokesman said that, apart from anything else, there was no suggestion that a single global regulator would be created and the government had been pushing instead for closer cooperation between national regulators. She added: "All this political positioning just helps the Tories."
Several newspapers reported that Commons leader Ms Harman was "positioning" to take over when Mr Brown steps down. City bonuses
'Exasperated' There was no "serious clamour" for a Conservative government, said Ms Blears, but there would be "if we fail to focus on protecting decent hard-working people," adding: "Divided parties don't win the trust of the people".
But Skills Secretary John Denham told the BBC the cabinet was more concerned with taking the "right decisions" to deal with the economy. An aide insisted the speech was not aimed at Ms Harman but was "a more general point about colleagues getting a grip" following a stream of leadership challenge stories, in which a range of names have been touted.
The Daily Telegraph reported Ms Harman had been accused by fellow ministers of trying to "muscle in" on the G20 summit of world leaders in London in April by staging an international women's conference at the same time. Speculation Ms Harman was plotting a leadership bid were sparked by a passionate attack she made on City bonuses in a cabinet meeting, seen by her critics as an attempt to woo left-wingers, whose support she would need.
The newspaper said Ms Harman's cabinet colleagues had grown "exasperated" by her behaviour. Some newspapers then reported cabinet colleagues' concern she was trying to "muscle in" on the G20 summit in April by staging an international women's conference at the same time.
It comes after reports Ms Harman launched an outspoken attack on City bonuses at a cabinet meeting, which her critics have interpreted as an attempt to woo left-wingers ahead of a possible leadership bid when Mr Brown steps down. There was also speculation that she had planted a story about Mr Brown possibly being offered the job of a global financial regulator, which was dismissed as "utter nonsense" by Downing Street.
The Independent quoted a minister as saying Ms Harman, who saw off five rivals to win Labour's deputy leadership contest, "needs to be reined in".