Posts Tagged ‘Ed Balls’
Compare the Miliband(.com)
Monday, May 17th, 2010
With the Labour leadership up for grabs, David and Ed Miliband have so far been the only candidates to announce their intention to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Ed Balls, John Cruddas and possibly Andy Burnham are the others who may move to stop the election becoming a one family affair, but until they formally throw their hat into the ring lets have a quick look at the background of the two brothers.
So… heads or tails?
What may ultimately play into Ed’s favour is the voting system used to elect Labour leaders and the impact other candidates have on voting preferences in this system. Labour members vote for candidates in order of preference on the ballot paper and, as votes are counted, the candidate with the fewest votes drops out and their second preferences are allocated to the other candidates’ totals. The winner will need to get over 50% of the vote to sit at the head of the Shadow Cabinet table.
Those voting for Ed Balls or John Cruddas, who are both on the left of the party to varying degrees, are more likely to have the union-backed Ed Milliband as their second preference than his Blairite brother David. If the second preferences of Balls and Cruddas are redistributed early on in the counting process, Ed Miliband will probably be the beneficiary rather than his big brother, potentially taking over the 50% needed for victory.
David may therefore need to secure 50% of all first preferences if he is to beat his little brother.
Tags: Andy Burnham, David Miliband, Ed Balls, Ed Miliband, John Cruddas, Labour, Labour leadership
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