Labour's Worst Nightmare
The Labour leadership contest finally came to an end yesterday - all the votes have now been cast and the count is underway.
The result will be known at the weekend - for the start of the annual Labour Party conference.
What's clear is that one of the Miliband brothers will emerge as the new leader - but the contest developed a rather nasty edge in its closing stages.
The long election campaign over the summer months was intended to reinvigorate the party - but instead has descended into an unseemly fight - between the forces of New versus Old Labour.
Neil Kinnock weighed in on behalf of Ed Miliband - denouncing the tactics of brother David's supporters - who were allegedly portraying the younger Miliband as 'Red Ed' and being in the pocket of the trade unions.
Peter Mandelson struck back for the forces of New Labour - saying that Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband were responsible for writing the Labour manifesto - which voters roundly rejected at the May general election.
So why was Ed now distancing himself - from a policy programme he was responsible for creating in the first place?
The worst possible result for the new Labour leader is a very close vote - because the splits and disagreements within the party will inevitably continue.
Especially if the Old and New Labour factions continue to attack one another - which they've been doing for the past ten years and more - not just the past few months.
The last Labour leader to be elected - Tony Blair - won a majority of votes in all three sections of the electoral college - Individual Party Members; MPs and MSPs etc; Affiliated Trade Unions.
Tony Blair had a powerful mandate for change right across the party - which he used to re-connect Labour with the wider voting public.
Neither Miliband brother is likely to emerge with such a clear mandate - a split result with different outcomes across different sections of the electoral college - is Labour's worst nightmare.
The result will be known at the weekend - for the start of the annual Labour Party conference.
What's clear is that one of the Miliband brothers will emerge as the new leader - but the contest developed a rather nasty edge in its closing stages.
The long election campaign over the summer months was intended to reinvigorate the party - but instead has descended into an unseemly fight - between the forces of New versus Old Labour.
Neil Kinnock weighed in on behalf of Ed Miliband - denouncing the tactics of brother David's supporters - who were allegedly portraying the younger Miliband as 'Red Ed' and being in the pocket of the trade unions.
Peter Mandelson struck back for the forces of New Labour - saying that Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband were responsible for writing the Labour manifesto - which voters roundly rejected at the May general election.
So why was Ed now distancing himself - from a policy programme he was responsible for creating in the first place?
The worst possible result for the new Labour leader is a very close vote - because the splits and disagreements within the party will inevitably continue.
Especially if the Old and New Labour factions continue to attack one another - which they've been doing for the past ten years and more - not just the past few months.
The last Labour leader to be elected - Tony Blair - won a majority of votes in all three sections of the electoral college - Individual Party Members; MPs and MSPs etc; Affiliated Trade Unions.
Tony Blair had a powerful mandate for change right across the party - which he used to re-connect Labour with the wider voting public.
Neither Miliband brother is likely to emerge with such a clear mandate - a split result with different outcomes across different sections of the electoral college - is Labour's worst nightmare.
