Hain warning to anti-Brown camp

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Labour MPs who "snipe" about Gordon Brown's leadership ambitions should "put up or shut up," says Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.

Mr Hain, who wants to be Mr Brown's deputy, told GMTV he did not think a serious challenger would emerge.

And he predicted Environment Secretary David Miliband will not stand.

Backbenchers Michael Meacher and John McDonnell both plan leadership bids but may not get enough support from Labour MPs to get on to the ballot.

I don't believe there will be a substantial challenger to Gordon Brown Peter HainDeputy leadership contender

With elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local councils due on 3 May, Mr Hain said the party should unite until after the vote.

"I want to see a truce on the deputy leadership and on the leadership, to say that April is the time, up until May 3rd, for us to focus laser-like on winning the votes for Labour, not trying to win votes for each other."

Mr Blair has yet to announce his exact departure date, but he is expected to do so shortly after the May elections.

"People in the Labour Party are entitled to want a contest if they wish," Mr Hain told GMTV's upcoming Sunday Programme.

Brown's 'brilliance'

But he praised Mr Brown as an "outstanding" successor to Mr Blair.

"There's nobody else with his vision and frankly his brilliance, so I really think it's time for those who have been sniping continuously over the last months - and it's now reached something of a pitch - to put up or shut up."

Mr Hain added: "From some of the off-stage and some on-stage noises from party colleagues that have been signalled to me, it's almost as if there is a subliminal desire to see David Cameron take over rather than Gordon Brown."

With senior Blairites, such as former Home Secretary Charles Clarke and EU commissioner Peter Mandelson, suggesting Mr Miliband may yet challenge Mr Brown, Mr Hain said: "He isn't willing to stand and he's made that perfectly clear."

Halfway there

Mr Hain added: "I don't believe there will be a substantial challenger to Gordon Brown."

Mr McDonnell, who was the first MP to announce he would launch a leadership bid, urged his rival Mr Meacher to give up.

He said he was "about halfway" towards getting the necessary 45 signatures, adding: "I don't think Michael's got much support.

"I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks Michael will stand down, join our campaign - on that basis we'll get the ballot paper."