By Brian Wheeler Political reporter, BBC News

Peter Hain likes to see himself as the ideas man of the Labour deputy leadership contest.

Peter Hain believes ministers should be more straight-talking

Since entering the race last summer, he has issued a stream of policy suggestions, on everything from reforming the voting system to introducing personal carbon allowances to fight climate change.

All six contenders have pledged to "renew" Labour in office and "reconnect" with voters but, says Mr Hain, only he can actually achieve it. In partnership with Gordon Brown, of course.

"I have been very careful to put forward new ideas - on tackling inequality, extending democratic reform and the green agenda, because I think these are all absolutely fundamental to a successful next period of office for Labour", he says when we meet in his Commons office.

"There are roughly three positions that have emerged in the deputy leadership contest.

"One is going backwards to a sort of Old Labour agenda, the other is saying we just need more of the same with a bit of renewal gloss on it, renewal rhetoric I should say.

"The third is my position, which says we should build on and learn from the tremendous achievements of the past 10 years, on economic stability, on public investment and improvement, being strong on security and safety, those three lessons."

City bonuses

But like the rest of the deputy leadership contenders, there is a danger Mr Hain is promising more than he can realistically deliver.

CONTENDER QUESTIONNAIRE Age: 57 Family: Married, two children from first marriage School: Pretoria Boys High School, South Africa; Emmanuel School, London University: London and Sussex Political hero: Nelson Mandela Good night out/in: Crashing out with a meal, a bottle of wine and a video Hobbies: Watching Chelsea football club, motor racing, rugby, walking with my wife in South Wales valleys Favourite book: Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell Favourite film: Cry Freedom Best thing on TV: Match of the Day Bad habits: Falling asleep in front of the family on a Saturday afternoon Something we don't know about you: I have two grandchildren and there is a third on the way

He has, for example, been outspoken in his criticism of the sort of bonuses being paid to traders in the City of London, claiming they are encouraging inequality and a burgeoning culture of greed and envy.

But pushed on what he - or more importantly Gordon Brown - would actually do about City bonuses, he is short on specific commitments.

"The City needs to display greater corporate social responsibility. How it does that is a matter for it. I don't believe in raising taxation. I don't believe in more regulation.

"But I think people do think those bonuses, their level, their sheer, astronomic level, is just out of proportion.

"I think people feel that if we are going to have a society based on greater social cohesion and morality, which I believe in, then a greater sense of civic obligation and corporate social responsibility should be displayed at the top."

What about his call for City traders to donate large chunks of their annual bonus to charity?

"I think in saying that I was beating with the pulse of public opinion."

Anti-apartheid campaigner

He insists he is serious about doing more to tackle inequality, arguing that despite all of Labour's efforts to lift people out of poverty, "transport costs are very high, utility bills are very high and people want an answer to those things".

And he dismisses accusations that he is merely pandering to the trade union vote - or trying to turn the clock back to Old Labour - as "laziness," arguing that he has signed up to everything the government has done "for the past 10 years".

Peter Hain has an unusual background for a Labour cabinet minister.

Mr Hain is proud of his anti-apartheid campaigning

A former leader of the Young Liberals, he made his name as an anti-apartheid campaigner in the 1970s, when he was a major thorn in the side of the sporting and political establishment.

He must be the only one of the six deputy leadership contenders to have been framed for a bank robbery.

Mr Hain's parents were jailed in South Africa for opposing the apartheid regime and he is proud of the role he played in bringing it to an end - and in fighting for human rights in general.

Does he never feel a little uncomfortable with what some have seen as the more authoritarian aspects of Labour's rule, such as its push to extend the time suspects can be held without being charged?

Or the introduction of "watch lists" to prevent illegal immigrants, in the words of Home Secretary John Reid, "stealing our benefits"?

"Britain operates under the rule of law, judges overturn government decisions, often, that could never have happened and did not happen in South Africa, people disappeared into jail on the whim of a minister, not even necessarily even the police, sometimes never to be seen again."

Proportional representation

Nevertheless, he says he is wary of intrusive and over-mighty governments, describing himself as a "libertarian Socialist".

"Labour must never be associated with a big state or a nanny state.

"Our mission is to empower citizens and to decentralise power but we do believe in the power of progressive government, whereas David Cameron's position is to say that government is fundamentally bad and to pursue policies of contracting out government."

I am not running for the number two job because I have got an eye on the number one job - it might be said of others Peter Hain

He voted for a 100% elected second chamber ("the Lords is an anachronism") and is an enthusiast of electoral reform, although not, he stresses, proportional representation.

He wants something similar to the Australian "preferential voting" system, in which voters choose a first, second and third candidate and the winner in any one constituency must gain 50% or more of the votes.

He his also proud of his record as one of the more off-message ministers of the Blair era, arguing that ministers should be more frank with the public.

Iraq

Judging by the e-mails we have received, the one issue on which most voters would like to see more honesty and directness from ministers is Iraq.

Like all six deputy leadership candidates Mr Hain voted for the war because, he says, he believed the intelligence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

He says he understands the "strength of feeling" among voters on the way the war has turned out but, he argues, voters in the UK must get the conflict into perspective.

I am not Welsh and I am not South African Peter Hain

"If it continues to be a defining issue for the way you vote, then the Tories will come back.

"People need to decide whether Iraq becomes more important than funding for local schools and creating full employment."

Peter Hain's supporters claim he is the frontrunner in the contest, with 32 MPs backing him - the biggest total to have been declared so far, although still short of the 44 needed to get on to the ballot paper.

'Loyal deputy'

At one time, he was regularly tipped as a future Labour leader. For someone who claims to have so many new policy ideas, isn't the deputy's job a poor consolation prize?

"I am not running for the number two job because I have got an eye on the number one job. It might be said of others. I don't have that. I would see myself as his [Gordon Brown's] loyal deputy," he says.

He says he is "mainly" running for deputy because "I feel very strongly that we are going to face a tough fight to win the next election".

"Unless we have real renewal, not fake renewal, and unless we put forward a bold, new agenda to meet the challenges of global competition, of climate change, of inequality and repositioning Britain in the world, we are going to find it hard to win."

He says the deputy leader can play a "pivotal" role as "the gateway of the government into the party at large and society at large".

Scottishness

He also takes a swipe at deputy leadership rival Harriet Harman, who says Labour members should vote for her because there needs to be a woman at the top of government - and because, as an MP for a London constituency, she will appeal to Middle England.

"People need to make their minds up. When it comes to future direction of the country, it is about what your agenda is, not whatever labels you put on yourself.

"It is about your agenda, not your gender, or where you live."

Judging from the number of e-mails the BBC News website has received on the subject, Mr Brown's Scottishness is an issue with many voters in England.

How does he think they would cope with someone of South African descent as his number two?

"I am British. I have spent more than 40 of my 57 years in Britain. People may see me as a classless British internationalist. I am not Welsh and I am not South African."

And there is one more myth he is only too happy to dispel. He is not, as some of press reports have said, the proud owner of a dancefloor.

His new house formerly belonged to a dance teacher and the attic had been used as a dance studio, he explains.

"It's just some of the media crap you have to put up with," he adds with resigned smile.

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