David Miliband appears to be leading this race

But his brother's camp is still talking tough.

By James Macintyre Published 07 September 2010 13:41

The ComRes-BBC Daily Politics poll highlighted by my colleague Caroline Crampton appears to have breathed new life into the David Miliband campaign for the Labour leadership, showing him ahead among councillors polled in first, second and third preference votes.

The results echo those in past "primaries" and appear to show David Miliband on course to victory even after the distribution of votes during knock-out stages. The poll appears to question the claim in the Ed Miliband camp that the younger brother will win on the basis of second preferences. The claim, pushed in an article in yesterday's Guardian, led to mild retribution from supporters of David Miliband last night. One said that to talk of victory not on the basis of coming first was "an act of desperation".

But a source close to Ed Miliband told the New Statesman that the Daily Politics poll is a "survey that is not representative of the whole membership", and pointed out that the fieldwork was conducted in July. "It is historical -- a lot has changed in August."

Both Miliband camps maintain they are confident of victory.

Tags: Ed Miliband David Miliband Labour leadership

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3 comments

Tue, 2010-09-07 15:30 — treborc

Then it's a waste of time rejoining the party, because I'll be dammed if I'm going back into a new Labour Thatcherite party.

Wed, 2010-09-08 14:54 — Sandra (not verified)

I am a member and I am thinking of leaving if DM becomes leader. I'm still hoping that EM will swing it on everyone else's 2nd preference votes because I can't imagine any of DA's, EB's or AB's supporters putting DM as 2nd preference. In my case I am DA first and EM second.

Tue, 2010-09-07 23:10 — redpen (not verified)

treborc - exactly right. If I were a member of the Labour party, I would seriously consider leaving the party if D miliband gets elected. What is the point of having a contest betweeen two Tories, MiliD and CamerD, next election come? D Miliband sounds so Blair in everything he says, shares Blairs ridiculous obsession with middle ground voters and focus group opportunism, and sucessfully covers up his shameful support of the Iraq war. And this man is supposed to spread hope in the non-voting working and underclass and bring them back to the polls for Labour? Never. Then its even better to waste ones energies trying to revive the lame duck Respect or something ... Not one penny of membership fees for a resurrection of the Blairites - the very people who think that even Brown's half-hearted keynesianism is too 'communist' ...