With less than a week to go before nominations close and pressure mounting, it is still possible for all six candidates to make it onto the ballot paper.
With less than a week to go before nominations close and pressure mounting for MPs to donate their nominations to those candidates yet to be nominated, it is still possible for all six candidates – David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott – to make it onto the ballot paper.
As the chart below illustrates, of the 258 Labour MPs, 90 have yet to formally nominate. Excluding Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman, both of whom will not name a preference, and excluding the seven MPs like Alistair Darling who have publically declared for a candidate but are yet to nominate, this leaves 81 nominations up for grabs – more than enough to be spread around.
Yesterday, David Miliband said he would nominate a fellow candidate struggling to make the 33 nominations required, adding:
“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.”
Labour List and Next Left have called on David and Ed Miliband and Ed Balls to tell MPs that they should nominate other candidates “to see the widest possible field of candidates in the leadership election”, while Compass is urging people to email those MPs yet to submit their nominations “to try and ensure all six declared candidates get on the ballot paper”.
Nominations close on Wednesday, with the winning candidate being unveiled on September 25, at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester.
30 Responses to “Will all six candidates make the ballot?”
Politics Summary: Friday, June 4th | Left Foot Forward
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Malcolm Evison
RT @leftfootfwd: Will all six candidates make the ballot? http://bit.ly/biryCU
Shouldn’t Labour MPs just nominate the candidate they think is best for the job?
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