28 May 2010

Ed Balls progresses in Labour leadership race

Former schools secretary just one vote away from making it on to the ballot paper.

Labour has just updated the nominations counter on its website and there’s some good news for Ed Balls. After being forced to deny that he would struggle to achieve the required 33 nominations, the former schools secretary is now just one vote away from making it on to the ballot paper.

It’s worth noting that Yvette Cooper and John Healey are the only shadow cabinet members to have nominated him.

I expect that Balls’s many opponents (inside and outside of the cabinet) will be pleased he’s progressing. A large number believe it essential that he is defeated decisively in an open contest.

Elsewhere, David Miliband remains in the lead with 54 nominations, while Ed Miliband has 45. Andy Burnham has 17 nominations, but with 103 votes left to play for, he’s still in with a shout of making it on to the ballot. But it doesn’t look like either John McDonnell or Diane Abbott will do so. McDonnell has just six nominations and Abbott one (from David Lammy).

Here’s a guide to who the shadow cabinet have nominated so far (those yet to nominate in bold):

Douglas Alexander (David Miliband)