David Miliband offers vote to rivals
By politics.co.uk staff
David Miliband has offered his vote to one of the Labour rivals struggling to secure nominations in a bid to get as many labour leadership candidates as possible on the ballot paper.
Mps need the backing of 33 of their colleagues to enter the leadership contest but several are struggling to secure the support they need.
Diane Abbott has just two backers, John McDonnell seven and Andy Burnham just 18.
Ed Balls recently hit the 33 mark, while Ed Miliband, who yesterday won the support of left-wing firebrand Tony Benn, has 45. David Miliband is far ahead with 57 MPs supporting him.
“If one of the candidates . shows, bona fide, that they’ve got 32 and they need a 33rd nominee I’ve still got my nomination to make and that’s the nomination I can control,” David Miliband said yesterday.
“When I say I want the more the merrier, that’s what I mean.”
There are still 80 more votes to secure so the race is not over yet and everyone can still make it onto the ballot paper.
But David Miliband was cautious when responding to claims from Mr McDonnell that the process of nominations should be expanded.
“I think that if you don’t get 33 then you’re not on the ballot paper. Those of us who are candidates in elections shouldn’t be trying to change the rules as we go along,” he said.
Speaking about his goals as party leader, he said: “It’s very, very important that we use this [leadership] election to understand why we lost, to listen to the anger that voters had about the political system – but also about why they didn’t vote for us – and that we chart a way forward, because it’s essential the Labour party comes out of this leadership election ready not just to be a fighting opposition but an alternative government.”
The Labour leader will be decided by the time of the party’s autumn conference.
