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Harriet Harman defied Cabinet critics of her outspoken style today by declaring: “I'm not going to become a shrinking violet.”
To the fury of colleagues who have accused her of openly parading as a future leadership candidate, she said she would carry on speaking up on issues like women's equality.
“There's no point tippy-toeing around,” she said. “That's what I'm in politics for.”
The deputy Labour leader, who is standing in while Gordon Brown is on holiday, defended herself against accusations of “grandstanding” as she gave her fifth major interview in as many days. She told the BBC's Women's Hour: “I cannot be responsible for political reporting but I'm not going to become a shrinking violet. And I'm not going to hide away from an agenda.”
Ms Harman denied that she had been embroiled in a Cabinet split over a review of rape laws with Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Alan Johnson, and played down differences with First Secretary of State Lord Mandelson over plans for longer parental leave.
Some colleagues have accused Ms Harman of using the Prime Minister's absence to bold up her profile and court women's votes in readiness for a leadership election. She dismissed the charge of grandstanding and said she had often been urged by Labour colleagues to stop preaching women's equality. “That's one of the things that brought me into politics... to champion the causes of fairness, social justice and of women,” she said.
In a string of interviews this week, she said the timing of recent comments was “absolutely not” a bid for the leadership. She said she was “proud to be Gordon Brown's deputy” and that he supported her agenda “absolutely”.
“If I had been tippy-toeing around I never would have raised the issue of should we have a criminal offence for men who exploit prostitutes and victims of human trafficking.
“Sometimes things start as a controversy and then they become conventional wisdom.”
Reader views (6)
i heard a rumour that she was pinochio's sister and shared the same tendancies.
mind you with hattie as leader the champagne socialists of new labour will spend a good deal more time in the scorched barren desert of hopeless abandonment.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 06/08/2009 16:43
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This women is a car crash waiting to happen. Thank god the next election will see the back of her!
- Stuart, London, 06/08/2009 16:18
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Harriet Harm-all-men should resign immediately or be sacked if Labour wish to remain a credible opposition party next year,she is one of their many liabilities.
- Jacob, Canterbury Gulag England, 06/08/2009 15:55
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The more this odious female is in the public eye the better for the Conservatives.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 06/08/2009 14:52
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If this Harperson parasite denies she is lining up Gormless Brown's job - then she is.
End of story.
About as much credibility as two copulating cornflakes.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK, 06/08/2009 14:43
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Harriet Harman has about as much chance of becoming the next Prime Minister as I have of being the first man on Mars, i.e. zero, none, nought, zilch.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 06/08/2009 14:17
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