Hazel Blears has put her hat into the ring for the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

Blears is the second woman to put herself forward, after Harriet Harman. The BBC reports:

Speaking in her Salford constituency as she launched her bid, Ms Blears said: “We have to stay in tune with people’s ambitions.”

She added: “We must use this leadership election and the transition to a new leadership team to showcase our party, its values and its policies to new supporters and voters.”

Ms Blears, seen as a Blairite, has dismissed suggestions that she should stand down as party chairman to fight the contest.

A source told the BBC last week that she had received a “strong” show of support from MPs and party members.

Posted by Jess McCabe on 24 February 2007, at 6:11 PM