JACK Straw said he had not decided who to back in the Labour Party leadership race.

The Blackburn Labour MP, who was the leadership campaign manager for both Tony Blair in 1994 and Mr Brown in 2007, said he had been approached to back some of the candidates.

But he said that he had decided to make up his mind ‘much closer’ to the proposed vote in September.

He said: “One of the reasons is that I am very close to several of the candidates but also I don’t want to be seen to be influencing others.

“There needs to be a fair debate and I look forward to that happening.”

So far declared runners are brothers David and Ed Milliband and Ed Balls.

Left-wing MP John McDonnell may also be standing, according to reports.

New Labour MP for Hyndburn Graham Jones said he believed there needed to be discussions on the candidates and for it to be an open contest.

However, he said he wanted to encourage the Exeter MP, former Culture Minister Ben Bradshaw, to come forward.