Jack Straw has announced he is to run Gordon Brown's campaign

Jack Straw has announced he is to run Gordon Brown's campaign for the Labour leadership - the first official confirmation the chancellor will stand.

He told BBC One's Sunday AM Mr Brown had helped make the UK a "better, fairer, more prosperous place", and had vision to deal with new challenges.

Earlier, in a letter to MPs, he said the campaign would not begin until Mr Blair set out his departure plans.

MPs Michael Meacher and John McDonnell have already said they plan to stand.


It will be a personal pleasure for me to help ensure that Gordon Brown becomes our next prime minister Jack Straw

Letter to MPs: In full

Meanwhile, Downing Street has denied a newspaper report that Mr Blair told political allies Environment Secretary David Miliband could win the Labour leadership election.

Sunday's Observer reported that Mr Blair said that if Mr Miliband were to stand "he will win", but sources at Number 10 said: "The prime minister has not said that."

Sources close to Mr Miliband would not be drawn into the new speculation that he may stand for the Labour leadership.

A spokesman for the environment secretary pointed to comments made to the BBC several weeks ago when Mr Miliband repeated his desire to see Mr Brown take over.

'Positive transformation'

Mr Brown is the favourite to succeed Mr Blair, who has said he will go by September.

Mr Straw sent an electronic letter to MPs saying Mr Brown was "supremely well qualified" to build on the achievements of Tony Blair's premiership.

In it, he says: "It will be a personal pleasure for me to help ensure that Gordon Brown becomes our next prime minister, and continues the positive transformation of the country which Labour has secured since 1997."

The Commons leader, who jointly ran Mr Blair's successful leadership campaign in 1994, says he will be putting together a team and conducting preparatory work over the coming weeks.

However, he stressed the "paramount priority" for the party was the Scottish and Welsh elections on 3 May.

Two MPs - John McDonnell and Michael Meacher - have declared their intention to stand for the Labour leadership but it is not yet clear whether either can secure the nominations of 44 other MPs needed to take part in the election.