Hazel Blears 'Enormously Regrets Timing Of Resignation'

Former communities secretary Hazel Blears has admitted she "enormously" regrets the timing of her resignation from the Government.

The Salford MP - who stood down just before the local and European elections - told the Manchester Evening News that after thinking "long and hard" she was sorry about the way she made the move.

She said she regretted the timing, which saw Labour’s vote fall to under 16%, for the first time in nearly a century.

"I genuinely thought I could go without it sparking off this huge firestorm," Ms Blears said.

"In hindsight that judgement was wrong. I should have waited until after the election. The effect on the party is something I will live with forever."

Ms Blears' resignation was followed by that of James Purnell, who quit as work and pensions secretary, after appealing to the PM to "stand aside" for the sake of the party.

The next day Caroline Flint also resigned from her position as Europe minister, after criticising Mr Brown, saying he treated women ministers as "female window dressing".

Many commentators viewed Ms Blears resignation as communities secretary as a deliberate action to destabilise Gordon Brown on the eve of the elections.

But she insisted she was not part of a plot against Mr Brown, saying she wanted to leave the government for "personal reasons".

Ms Blears also said she regretted wearing a badge saying 'rocking the boat', while mocking the Prime Minister's YouTube video.

Referring to the four weeks of media pressure surrounding her expense claims, which she said affected her and her family, she told the paper: "At that point I just had enough, it was a stupid thing to do in retrospect but it was just putting a brave face on, not going out cowed on the basis of expense claims which genuinely are not true."

In the interview, the ex-communities secretary revealed she never considered stepping down as a constituency MP, saying: "What Salford needs is an MP who is going to be fighting for them 100 per cent."

"I am someone who knows how the system works and will fight to get investment into the city."

(JM/NS)