Labour leadership contest: Nominations deadline today
Deadline for nominations for Labour leadership contest to expire at lunchtime today
Wednesday, 09, Jun 2010 04:01
By Matthew Champion.
Three candidates for the Labour leadership will today find out if they have received enough nominations to challenge David and Ed Miliband and Ed Balls to succeed Gordon Brown.
Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham and John McDonnell have until 12:30 BST to receive the backing of 33 of their fellow MPs in order to appear on the ballot paper.
On Tuesday Ms Abbott had just nine nominations, although that did not include the pledged support of Harriet Harman, former health secretary Mr Burnham had 26 and Mr McDonnell 15.
Former Cabinet heavyweights the Miliband brothers and Mr Balls had already long secured the 33 names needed to challenge for the leadership. More than 50 MPs are yet to come out in support of any one candidate.
Speaking on Tuesday Mr Burnham said he was confident he would gain the seven nominations he still needed, while Ms Abbott and Mr McDonnell - who failed in a bid to challenge Mr Brown for the party's leadership in 2007 - did not appear close to a deal to transfer MPs to the other to ensure a left-winger made it on to the ballot.
The next leader of the Labour party will be chosen by party members, trade unions and affiliated organisations over between August 16th and September 22nd, ahead of a winner being declared at conference on September 25th.
On Tuesday Ms Harman took the unusual step of backing Ms Abbott in the nomination process despite being strictly neutral in the contest as the party's deputy.
"The Labour party knows that whoever wins the leadership contest, there will not be a men-only leadership at the top of the Labour party as Harriet will continue in her role as deputy leader," a spokesperson for Ms Harman said.
"However, she feels that the party does not want the leadership election, and the debate that it will generate, to be men only. Harriet will play no part in the eventual outcome as she will not cast her vote. She will continue to serve as deputy leader alongside whoever wins. Therefore, she has nominated Diane."