Labour's leadership battle of the brothers

As the long summer of Labour’s leadership campaign begins, all candidates must answer one question: how do you beat a Miliband? David started well, especially given his donation of at least a dozen supportive MPs to help Diane Abbott qualify, likely a clever ploy to split his rivals on the  left. The only blot on Ed’s campaign is his manager, Peter Hain—who had to resign from the cabinet for failing to declare donations last time he managed a campaign (his own) for Labour’s deputy leadership. The brothers remain overwhelming favourites—and if any of the other three are to stand a chance they first must decide which Miliband they plan to dislodge. Here, the logic becomes convoluted. Ed Balls wants to be the left’s standard-bearer against the Blairite David. But to get there he must gather enough second preference votes to see his former colleague Ed Miliband defeated in previous rounds of voting.

The only bright spot for whoever wins could be financial. The party is in effect bankrupt, but with the Lib Dems in bed with the Tories, Labour pockets virtually the entire pot of “Short money” for cash-strapped opposition parties. Not enough to fuel a Milibandwagon, but it is a start.

This article originally appeared in the July 2010 edition of Prospect.