You can't have it both ways Hazel

You can't be a minister and campaign against government policy. Hazel Blears seems not to understand the concept of collective responsibility, on the one hand she wants to keep in with Brown/Blair yet won't stand up and defend an unpopular (and wrong) policy.

I predict that there will be a lot more "off message" activities and announcements from Labour MPs between now and the next General Election. Nu Labour and Tony Blair were once seen as electoral assets to Labour candidates, not any more.