Harman 'lining up to take over if Brown loses next election'

Harriet Harman is positioning herself for a leadership contest in the event of Gordon Brown losing the next election, it was claimed yesterday.

One senior Labour figure claimed she was out of control and 'sucking up' to trades unions and party members.



Another said Miss Harman, who is the party's deputy leader, was playing to the gallery on issues such as a third runway at Heathrow, bank bonuses and class war.



Next in line? Gordon Brown with Harriet Harman

The row came as a devastating poll suggested that the Conservatives have opened up a 20-point lead over Labour.



The Ipsos/MORI survey put the Tories on 48 per cent, Labour on 28 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent.



It also showed a decline in the Prime Minister's personal ratings. Lord Mandelson yesterday made an extraordinary appeal for calm, apparently directed at restive Labour MPs.



He insisted there were 'no manuals, no blueprints, no precedents to tell us what to do' in such a deep economic crisis.



Business secretary Peter Mandelson has appealed for calm after claims Harriet Harman is positioning herself for a leadership contest



Speaking in New York, the Business Secretary warned against frenzy and highlighted the need for nerve and judgment.



That was seen as a coded rebuke to Miss Harman, who triggered a fierce row in Cabinet over bonuses at bailed-out banks.



One senior Labour insider said: 'There is a pattern of behaviour developing with Harriet that is entirely about what happens after a Labour defeat. You can see

it in much of what she is doing at the moment. It is all about sucking up to the Labour party and the unions.'



The source accused Miss Harman of hijacking an announcement on social mobility by Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne.



The source added: 'There is a sense that she is out of control and no one can stop her. She thinks she can do what she likes because she has a mandate from the party.'

There is also surprise that Miss Harman appears to be preparing to try to grab the limelight at April's G20 summit in London.

She has let it be known that she plans to hold her own meetings with businesswomen in the run-up to the meeting of world leaders.



Miss Harman also wants a statement inserted into the final diplomatic communique agreed by world leaders promising special safeguards for women's jobs during the economic downturn.



Colleagues fear that her unexpected triumph in 2007's deputy leadership race gives her a formidable base of support among union activists and party members, who would help determine a future leadership contest.



One of Gordon Brown's allies said: 'We are aware of what she is up to but this is very very low on the Richter scale. It's the equivalent of a minor earth rumble in Chile.



'Harriet's chatterings to her friends over canapes are not causing us any excitement.'



Frank Field, meanwhile, has delivered what appeared to be an ultimatum to the Prime Minister over compensation for the remaining losers from the scrapping of the 10p tax rate.



The former welfare minister demanded the implementation of a 'more progressive' tax system in April's Budget.



He also said it was time for the Government to admit the need for tax rises for the wealthy as well as public spending cuts.