Balls Promises To Listen After Confirming Bid

He became the fourth man to put himself forward, after John McDonnell earlier confirmed his challenge to the Miliband brothers.

Sky News has since learned former Heath Secretary Andy Burnham will also throw his hat into the ring on Thursday.

Widely predicted to run following Gordon Brown's departure, Mr Balls made his pitch for the party's top job during a visit to Netherfield.

"We've got to listen first, hear what the public say, that's what will be the centre-piece of my campaign," he said.

A close ally of the former Prime Minister, Mr Balls had been rumoured to be the 'Brownite' candidate in the contest.

He said he was proud of Labour's record but accepted the party had sometimes failed to show it is "sufficiently in touch".

Mr Balls pointed to immigration as an area in which the party had failed to do enough to show it understood the voters' concerns.

The former minister said he was friends with rival candidates the Miliband brothers.

"Whoever wins this I will back them 110% because I think the unity of the Labour Party is vital," he said.

But he added his experience of working in the Treasury and on schools policy set him apart from the others.

Mr Balls said he discussed his leadership ambitions with his wife, former minister Yvette Cooper.

"I said she should decide and if she wanted to stand... she would have my full support and I would stand aside," he said.

She decided "now was not her time", he added.

John McDonnell launched his bid in a speech to the Public and Commercial Services Union in Brighton.

He accused his rivals - David and Ed Miliband and Mr Balls - of being "the sons of Blair and the son of Brown" and warned they could lead the party to another election loss.

Mr McDonnell unsuccessfully tried to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership when he took over from Tony Blair in 2007.

He has accused Labour of trying to "fix" the election process by only allowing four days next week for nominations.

Ed Miliband, the former Energy and Climate Change Secretary and the younger of the brothers, also expressed disappointment that nominations close on May 27.

"MPs/members annoyed about short nominations timetable: I have to say I agree," he wrote on Twitter.

"Need broadest possible choice and time for MPs to decide and consult," he added.

But Jon Cruddas, a backbencher widely tipped to take part in the contest, has said that he will not be a candidate.

The winner will be announced on September 25 during the annual party conference.

Harriet Harman will remain as interim leader until then and has said she intends to stay on as deputy under the winner of the leadership ballot.