Diane Abbott is to be replaced as a pundit on BBC1's late-night political discussion programme This Week by the former cabinet minister Hazel Blears following her bid to become Labour leader.

Abbott announced last week that she intends to contest the party's leadership but has yet to secure the nomination of 33 MPs necessary to get her name on the ballot paper.

Nevertheless, the BBC has taken the decision to replace her on This Week because it was concerned her continued appearance as a pundit would breach its editorial independence guidelines.

Abbott is a regular on the show alongside host Andrew Neil and fellow pundit Michael Portillo, the former Tory minister, with whom she has formed a popular double act on the This Week sofa.

She told the Guardian today: "They told me I can [continue on the show] and it appears they've backed off. I find it very strange."

Blears is a former Labour party chair and communities secretary, a role which she left last year. Her resignation was seen at the time as evidence of Gordon Brown losing the confidence of his cabinet, as it came less than 24 hours after Jacqui Smith quit as home secretary. Blears said she was leaving for "personal reasons".

The Telegraph claimed she quit partly because of the revelation that she had not paid capital gains tax on the sale of two properties. She was returned as MP for Salford earlier this month, having been first elected to parliament in 1997.

A BBC spokesperson, said: "For the sake of fairness to all the candidates for the Labour party leadership, while Diane is a candidate she won't be making her usual appearance on the This Week sofa."

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