ALAN MILBURN told last night how he agonised throughout the summer before agreeing to a return to the Cabinet - only 15 months after quitting to spend more time with his family.

In an exclusive interview with The Northern Echo, the Darlington MP revealed how only a personal plea by Tony Blair persuaded him to return to frontline politics to be Labour's policy supremo for the General Election.

Mr Milburn said he would not have agreed to return if the offer had been a "red box job" - running a government department - because that would have been impossible to juggle with a family life.

Instead, the former Health Secretary will be charged with co-ordinating government strategy and developing new policies, without the day-to-day grind of running a major department.

Mr Milburn was given the title of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - with a seat at the Cabinet table - in an announcement delayed until almost 9pm.

The Darlington MP said: "It has been incredibly difficult to come to this decision. It's not what I had planned.

"In many ways I didn't want to be in this position, but the Prime Minister persuaded me to come back and work with him on the future agenda for the party.

"If Tony Blair had said he wanted me to do a red box job I would have flatly refused, because it made it impossible to balance my family responsibilities. I made it clear I was not going back to that."

Mr Milburn said his decision to return had been made "without prejudice" as to what future role - if any - he would have after the election, expected in May or June.

And he dismissed rumours that Chancellor Gordon Brown had blocked his return as party chairman as "Westminster village gossip".

Mr Milburn said: "I'm not interested in job titles. I'm interested in making sure that I do the right thing by the party.

"The Prime Minister wanted me back and that's what I have decided to do."