Hain on the ropes after Reid accuses him over terror row

 Add your view

Peter Hain's political future is in doubt after he was accused of engineering a row over new terror powers to boost his bid to be Labour's deputy leader.

He came under furious attack in an extraordinary leaked letter from Home Secretary John Reid to Tony Blair claiming that Mr Hain proposed the very powers he is now denouncing.

Hain's political future is in doubt

In Westminster, the letter was seen as a highly unusual attack on the integrity of a Cabinet minister by a senior colleague.

Mr Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, warned in a letter to Cabinet colleagues leaked this week that new police "stop and question" powers could become a "recruiting sergeant for extremism".

But now an outraged Mr Reid wrote to Mr Blair accusing Mr Hain of being the only person to propose the powers in the first place – and then leaking the idea that he opposed them to paint himself as a champion of civil liberties.

Mr Reid wrote: "We all understand that collective responsibility does not end just because a deputy leadership contest begins. I must say that I remain mystified as to why Peter initially proposed a measure which he now regards as a 'recruiting sergeant for extremism'.

"Any light he could shed on the source of these leaks and 'hyped briefings' would be welcome."

Mr Reid copied the letter to the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, the committee for security and terrorism and other Cabinet committees.

A spokesman for Mr Hain insisted he had not objected to "stop and question" powers but to the portrayal of them as "tough, new war-time" measures.

Mr Hain caused further irritation by ignoring pleas from colleagues not to undermine Labour's appeal by lurching to the Left.

He broke New Labour's greatest taboo by resurrecting the spectre of higher taxes for the wealthy. He said there was "a lot of pressure within the party" to raise the taxes paid by the highest earners.

Supporters of both Mr Blair and Prime Minister-in-waiting Mr Brown are watching aghast as Labour ministers advocate increasingly radical policies shifting the party to the Left.

Three of the deputy leadership contenders have backed the idea of an amnesty for illegal immigrants, while Mr Hain has attacked City bonuses.

Cabinet ministers are deeply uneasy that the deputy leadership contenders are discussing such issues in terms that would have been unthinkable during Mr Blair's decade in charge.

Contenders risk alienating Middle Britain voters as they pander to Labour's Left-wing membership, they fear.

A source close to Mr Brown said: "Gordon has made very clear that a lot of the things that are being said in the deputy leadership contest are not remotely indicative of Government policy."

 

What's on today   What's on tomorrow

Receive our newsletter