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Blears tells cabinet 'get a grip' | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Hazel Blears has broken ranks to warn cabinet colleagues to stop positioning for a Labour leadership race. | |
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. | |
The communities secretary said such behaviour played into the hands of the Tory leader David Cameron. | |
It comes as Harriet Harman insisted there was "not an iota of truth" she was positioning for the top job. | |
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. | |
Some newspapers have even speculated about a "stop Harriet" candidate, with one touting Treasury Minister Yvette Cooper as a possible contender. | |
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." |
Divided parties don't win the trust of the people Hazel Blears | |
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. | |
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. | |
"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. | |
"If the mindset is all about what happens after some future election defeat, then the game's up." | |
She added: "All this political positioning just helps the Tories." | |
City bonuses | |
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". | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |