NOT ONE TO rest on her laurels, the most photogenic member of the recently uncovered Russian spy ring in the US may be considering running for office in her homecountry.

Anna Chapman has been enjoying the usual sort of thing since being deported by the United States for espionage: posing for photo-shoots, singing fighting-songs and just hanging out with Vlad. Natch.

Media speculation over whether Chapman will run for office in next year’s elections is now starting to surface, following the announcement that Anatoly Korendyasev is about to retire.

Korendyasev represents Chapman’s native Volgograd province in Putin’s United Russia party – and many think she is an obvious replacement.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time in Russia that a former-spy turned to politics – in fact, Korendyasev himself is a former intelligence agent.

And Chapman has been very well received in her native country, reportedly being heralded as an Anti-American poster-girl.

According to Der Spiegel, political scientist Andrey Mironov has suggested building an Anna Chapman museum at her former school – the imaginatively titled High School No. 11.

Tatyana Badyeshko, Chapman’s former school principal, remembers her former pupil as a respectable girl who had a taste for adventure:

“Perhaps that’s what drove her to get involved in these spy games,” said Badyeshko, “But everything Anna did was out of love for her fatherland.”

While the rumours are unsubstantiated for now, we reckon she should go for it… at this point, a successful career in espionage is probably out.