MP who praised IRA will stand for Blair job

AN MP who believes IRA terrorists should be "honoured" for taking part in their "armed struggle" has put his name forward to replace Tony Blair as Labour leader.
Left-winger John McDonnell yesterday announced that he will challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership when Mr Blair quits.
While it would seem highly unlikely that Mr McDonnell will be the next Labour leader/Prime Minister, the raising of his profile at Westminster and possibly Whitehall will unsettle unionists.

The London MP is a republican supporter, who in 2003 attended a commemoration for IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.
At the time, he praised the "bravery" of the IRA, whose "bombs and bullets" had resulted, he said, in the peace process in Northern Ireland.
"It's about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle," he said.

The deaths of innocent civilians was a "tragedy", but it was "as a result of British occupation in Ireland", he added.
At the time, then Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said Mr McDonnell's remarks were worse than anything the suspended Labour MP George Galloway had said about Iraq.
He called for him to be expelled from the Labour Party, but to no avail.

Yesterday, Mr McDonnell returned to the limelight.
The chairman of the Socialist Campaign Group said that following "increasing demands" from sections of the movement, he had decided to declare himself as a Labour leadership candidate.

The MP for Hayes and Harlington said he wanted to make it clear he was not standing as a "stalking horse", but wanted to mount a
serious challenge to become leader.

Mr McDonnell said he wanted to repair the damage done by New Labour and represent people "who no longer feel they have a voice".
He promised to tour the country with his campaign and urged lapsed members to rejoin the party and get involved in the debate.
"This is not a move against Tony Blair, it's a move against New Labour and the way it's formed at the moment," he told reporters on Westminster's College Green.
"We've had no debate. We in the party have felt very disenfranchised."

The 54-year-old predicted Mr Blair, who says he wfll leave before the next election, would announce his resignation in the next 12 or 18 months.
"Some have argued that instead of an open democratic election for the leader of the party, there should
be a smooth transition or virtual coronation of his successor," said Mr McDonnell.

"This would deny party members the opportunity of openly debating the issues facing our party and the future direction of the party"
He said a handover to Mr Brown could soon be followed by a "smooth transition" to Conservative leader David Cameron.
Bookmakers William Hill installed Mr McDonnell as a 25/1 outsider to become the next Labour leader.

Mr Brown remains the bookies' favourite to succeed Mr Blair at 1/4, Education Secretary Alan Johnson is the 6/1 second favourite, with Environment Secretary David Miliband offered at 8/1.

"At present we do not see John McDonnell as a serious challenger to Gordon Brown but his decision is sure to put the cat in among the pigeons," said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams.