Blunkett wants to be Chancellor... or PM

David Blunkett wants to be Chancellor of the Exchequer after the next election and thinks he could mount a "serious challenge" to be Prime Minister, it emerged today.

A new biography of Mr Blunkett reveals he believed that arch-Blairite Alan Milburn would succeed him at the Home Office and that John Prescott would be moved from his current role.

Fresh extracts from the book by Stephen Pollard, to be published next week, show he also thought former minister Harriet Harman was a "hypocrite" over her son's schooling.

He also wanted to replace John Gieve, the permanent secretary at the Home Office who has set up the inquiry into allegations that Mr Blunkett had a role in fast-tracking the visa application of the nanny of his former lover Kimberly Quinn.

Tory leader Michael Howard yesterday ridiculed Tony Blair over Mr Blunkett's searing attacks on his Cabinet colleagues that had emerged in earlier extracts.

This week, Mr Blunkett had to apologise for his comments. Today's revelations will raise the pressure on him as they lay bare his thoughts on his prospects after the next election. Mr Pollard says Mr Blunkett felt he would be asked to stay on as Home Secretary at least until the introduction of ID cards after the next general election.

But in a claim that could upset Gordon Brown, he makes it clear that he would like to take over at the Treasury. "Given a choice of jobs, he would most like to be Chancellor of the Exchequer. Foreign Secretary did not appeal. The constant travelling would be too much," Mr Pollard writes.

"The most likely option was that he would be asked to take over John Prescott's responsibilities as Environment Secretary."

Mr Blunkett felt he would be "wiped out" if he stood against Mr Brown for the leadership of the Labour party. But Mr Pollard reveals: "Like any politician, he wanted the biggest of all jobs. He knew the chances were slim but there was no reason to avoid doing his best to be in a position to mount a serious challenge."

On Solicitor General Ms Harman, who sent her son to a grammar school instead of her local state school, Mr Pollard writes: "Blunkett ... had no doubt that Harman had been a hypocrite and was firmly of the view that she should leave the front bench.

"Once Blair had determined that Harman should stay ... he had no choice but to defend her."