Brown’s deputy quashes rumours of leadership bid

HARRIET HARMAN moved to quash suggestions she was preparing to succeed Gordon Brown as British prime minister yesterday – insisting there were “no circumstances” in which she would run for the leadership.

The deputy Labour leader said she would not seek the top job even if the prime minister were to go.

The intervention came after a week of bitter infighting that has left Mr Brown’s position looking increasingly precarious.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if she would try to become leader if a vacancy arose, Harman replied: “No.”

The cabinet minister went on: “I am saying there are no circumstances... I do not want to be prime minister, I do not want to be leader of the party. I want Gordon Brown to remain PM after the next election as well as before the election.”

Harman insisted there was no “policy divide” within the Labour Party, and there was “strong unity” over what was being done to tackle the economic crisis as members prepare for next month’s local and European elections.

“They are not defeatist, they are not demoralised, they are very determined,” she added.

The commons leader insisted her cabinet colleague Hazel Blears had already backtracked over a newspaper article yesterday that was seen as having inflamed the situation.

Blears slammed the Government’s “lamentable failure” to connect with voters.