Blears faces 'no confidence' motion
Updated on 12 June 2009
Hazel Blears will face a motion of no confidence next week at a meeting of her Salford constituency Labour Party.
The former Communities Secretary has been heavily criticised over the timing of her decision to resign, on the eve of the English council and European elections last week.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News she said that she had a number of regrets, including the timing of her resignation.
These other regrets include writing in the Observer newspaper to mock the Prime Minister's YouTube video and wearing a badge saying "rocking the boat" as she quit.
On the timing of her resignation, she said she was unaware of the consequences it would have.
"I genuinely thought I could go without it sparking off this huge firestorm.
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 for ever."
Blears said she regretted wearing her 'rocking the boat' brooch after resigning, which was seen as a coded message to Gordon Brown.
"It was a brooch my husband had given me. I'd had four weeks of intense media pressure, the like of which I have never known, not just on me but on my husband, my dad, my family.
At that point I'd had enough. It was a stupid thing to do but I think it was just trying to put a brave face on, not going out cowed on the basis of expenses claims that genuinely are not true."
Following her resignation, Blears was criticised by people within the party for her timing.
A Channel 4 News poll of Labour party members revealed that two thirds of members thought that Gordon Brown should have sacked her before she quit.
Hazel Blears interview
Watch the Manchester Evening News' interview with Hazel Blears about her regrets over her resignation.
