A new poll has shown that Ed Miliband has made a late surge and is now odds on to become the new leader of the Labour Party.
There are five Labour MPs campaigning to become the new leader of the party - Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls and Diane Abbot - with the two Miliband brothers long being the frontrunners.
David has been the longtime favourite, but this new poll says that his brother Ed may pip him just before the finishing line.
The father of the Milbands was a Belgian Jew who fled to Britain in 1940 to escape the Nazis. Their mother was a Polish Jew.
The voting system for the labour leadership is quite complicated. Labour MPs, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), party members and members of affiliated organisations, such as trades unions and socialist societies, are all entitled to vote in the election.
The Labour Party were in power between 1997 and this year, but were ousted from power to make way for a Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition government on 11th May, five days after the General Election which produced a Hung Parliament.
Whoever wins the Labour leadership contest will be hoping they have what it takes to get Labour to win the next General Election and become Prime Minister.
A win for Ed, though, may be a boost to the coalition government, who fear David Miliband the most.
Amongst those in support of David Miliband is Yorkshire actor Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.
The new leader of the Labour Party will be announced in two weeks' time on the first day of the party's conference in Manchester.
It is the first proper Labour leadership contest since 1994.
Poll: Mili E now odds on to win
By NEIL MILLARD
12th September 2010
The Sun
Leadership hopeful ... A poll shows Ed Miliband will become the new leader of the Labour Party later this month
LABOUR leadership contender Ed Miliband has made a surprise late surge and is odds on to beat his brother David to the party's top job, according to a poll.
The contest between the pair remained too close to call today with one survey suggesting Ed could narrowly snatch victory.
Close race ... David Miliband, for a long time the favourite, faces tough challenge from brother Ed
The YouGov poll of Labour members and trade unionists showed the bookies' favourite, David, enjoying a narrow lead.
But that was only on first preferences.
When the contest progresses to the second stage - when lower-ranking candidates are eliminated and second choices are redistributed - the results show younger brother Ed would win.
The new leader will be announced on September 25, the eve of the Labour conference in Manchester.
The shadow foreign secretary - known as Mili D in political circles - has tried to paint himself as the "unity candidate" but Ed is claiming he has the momentum to win.
The poll gave David a 36 per cent to 32 per cent lead on first preferences but when second preferences are counted the survey showed Ed could get 51 per cent of votes handing him victory.
It put Andy Burnham in third place with 12 per cent, Ed Balls fourth on 11 per cent and backbencher Diane Abbott trailing on nine per cent.
Shadow energy secretary Ed said the party was "making a judgment about the best person to beat David Cameron and I think they are turning to me".
It comes after a string of stars including Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, TV hardman Ross Kemp and Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart came out in support of David.
Ed said: "My sense is that it's moving towards me in every section of the electoral college, including the Parliamentary Labour Party, and it does depend on people's second and sometimes third preferences.
"I think fundamentally it's about my message and about what I've been saying in this campaign and about the way we need to understand that New Labour was great for its time and we've got to keep some parts of it, about appealing to all sections of the electorate and so on.
"But we've also got to move on, change, admit some of the things we got wrong and understand the lessons of the last general election."
As the contest heated up for the final two weeks David hit back in a separate interview claiming he was the best man for the job.
He said: "The difference I am interested in is between me and David Cameron because Labour needs a leader who can take on David Cameron.
thesun.co.uk
There are five Labour MPs campaigning to become the new leader of the party - Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls and Diane Abbot - with the two Miliband brothers long being the frontrunners.
David has been the longtime favourite, but this new poll says that his brother Ed may pip him just before the finishing line.
The father of the Milbands was a Belgian Jew who fled to Britain in 1940 to escape the Nazis. Their mother was a Polish Jew.
The voting system for the labour leadership is quite complicated. Labour MPs, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), party members and members of affiliated organisations, such as trades unions and socialist societies, are all entitled to vote in the election.
The Labour Party were in power between 1997 and this year, but were ousted from power to make way for a Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition government on 11th May, five days after the General Election which produced a Hung Parliament.
Whoever wins the Labour leadership contest will be hoping they have what it takes to get Labour to win the next General Election and become Prime Minister.
A win for Ed, though, may be a boost to the coalition government, who fear David Miliband the most.
Amongst those in support of David Miliband is Yorkshire actor Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.
The new leader of the Labour Party will be announced in two weeks' time on the first day of the party's conference in Manchester.
It is the first proper Labour leadership contest since 1994.
Poll: Mili E now odds on to win
By NEIL MILLARD
12th September 2010
The Sun
Leadership hopeful ... A poll shows Ed Miliband will become the new leader of the Labour Party later this month
LABOUR leadership contender Ed Miliband has made a surprise late surge and is odds on to beat his brother David to the party's top job, according to a poll.
The contest between the pair remained too close to call today with one survey suggesting Ed could narrowly snatch victory.
Close race ... David Miliband, for a long time the favourite, faces tough challenge from brother Ed
The YouGov poll of Labour members and trade unionists showed the bookies' favourite, David, enjoying a narrow lead.
But that was only on first preferences.
When the contest progresses to the second stage - when lower-ranking candidates are eliminated and second choices are redistributed - the results show younger brother Ed would win.
The new leader will be announced on September 25, the eve of the Labour conference in Manchester.
The shadow foreign secretary - known as Mili D in political circles - has tried to paint himself as the "unity candidate" but Ed is claiming he has the momentum to win.
The poll gave David a 36 per cent to 32 per cent lead on first preferences but when second preferences are counted the survey showed Ed could get 51 per cent of votes handing him victory.
It put Andy Burnham in third place with 12 per cent, Ed Balls fourth on 11 per cent and backbencher Diane Abbott trailing on nine per cent.
Shadow energy secretary Ed said the party was "making a judgment about the best person to beat David Cameron and I think they are turning to me".
It comes after a string of stars including Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, TV hardman Ross Kemp and Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart came out in support of David.
Ed said: "My sense is that it's moving towards me in every section of the electoral college, including the Parliamentary Labour Party, and it does depend on people's second and sometimes third preferences.
"I think fundamentally it's about my message and about what I've been saying in this campaign and about the way we need to understand that New Labour was great for its time and we've got to keep some parts of it, about appealing to all sections of the electorate and so on.
"But we've also got to move on, change, admit some of the things we got wrong and understand the lessons of the last general election."
As the contest heated up for the final two weeks David hit back in a separate interview claiming he was the best man for the job.
He said: "The difference I am interested in is between me and David Cameron because Labour needs a leader who can take on David Cameron.
thesun.co.uk
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