David Blunkett yesterday unveiled one of his own poems on national radio and won instant critical acclaim.

Helping to launch a poll on poetry linked to elections, by Radio 4's Today programme, the home secretary read out his single stanza piece of work, entitled "Echo".

It read: "Too much I read of that which I have written and if not written, wished I had. Too oft I hear the echo reflected from the wall that I myself have built and failed to recognise the words that bounce back in my face."

"You tend to write either at moments of grief or in moments of great joy," he said.

"I think you feel that hurt or harshness inside, and there are people who write in that way. Ted Hughes did. But I find that poetry doesn't come out in that vein. My love of poetry is gentleness and more mystic."