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Former deputy leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman has told Â鶹Éç Radio 5 live "I shouldn't have ruled myself out" of the opportunity to become permanent leader of the party.

Harman became Labour’s acting leader after Gordon Brown stepped down in 2010, and again following Labour’s defeat in the 2015 general election and Ed Miliband's resignation.

Speaking to 5 live’s Stephen Nolan, she revealed: "I didn't expect that I would need to step up into the role of acting leader."

"When I did step up; I found I could do the job. At that point I should have thought 'although I didn't expect this, I should throw my hat into the ring.'"

She added: "The party was gaining members. I had support in the party and I was able to do the things that a leader needs to do, and was winning support. So really, I shouldn't have ruled myself out and not even thought about it."

Harriet Harman is the longest continuously serving female MP in the House of Commons, having first been elected an MP in 1982. Her book A Woman’s Work explores the history of women in politics through her own eyes.

This clip is originally from Stephen Nolan on Friday 3 February 2017

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