Meacher to stand for Labour Leader

1.00.56pm GMT Thu 22nd Feb 2007

Michael Meacher has announced he will be standing for Leader or the Labour Party when Tony Blair stands down later in the year. Meacher is the former Environment Minister and has become increasingly critical of government policy since leaving office in 2003.

Meacher has been critical on both climate change and the need to renew Trident, he referred to his own decision to support the invasion of Iraq as the "biggest error" of his political life, denouncing Tony Blair for the "farrago of lies".

John McDonnell MP has also declared that he will stand.