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By Bob Roberts; Jason Beattie 25/09/2010
Ed Miliband has pipped his brother David to be next Labour leader, senior party sources predicted last night.
Voting ended on Wednesday and there is a growing belief that Ed and not older brother David will be named as Gordon Brown's successor today.
Sources say early favourite David's support from ex-Business Minister Peter Mandelson may have backfired, pushing the rank-and-file into Ed's camp.
Ed is now the bookies' favourite, with his odds on victory having shortened from 33-1 to 1/2. David is now 6/4 to become leader.
The mood in David's camp was despondent yesterday while his younger brother began appointing people to key positions.
one MP said the key moment in the close race came when Lord Mandelson had endorsed David and warned against the destruction of New Labour under a new leader. She said there was such fury at the intervention by Lord Mandelson, who many blame for losing the last election and then cashing on on Labour troubles in a book, that MPs and party activists switched to Ed.
Ed, 40, is thought to have scored heavily among union members, which make up onethird of the vote.
And he is believed to be only four or five percentage points behind David, 45, among MPs and Labour Party members.
one member of the Ed campaign team said: "The movement has all been towards us in the last few days of voting. The indications we have been getting are far better than expected."
A David Miliband supporter said: "We remain quietly confident. The support amongst MPs and from constituencies has remained solid. We think we have enough in the bag."
SOURCE: MIRROR
Ed Miliband has pipped his brother David to be next Labour leader, senior party sources predicted last night.
Voting ended on Wednesday and there is a growing belief that Ed and not older brother David will be named as Gordon Brown's successor today.
Sources say early favourite David's support from ex-Business Minister Peter Mandelson may have backfired, pushing the rank-and-file into Ed's camp.
Ed is now the bookies' favourite, with his odds on victory having shortened from 33-1 to 1/2. David is now 6/4 to become leader.
The mood in David's camp was despondent yesterday while his younger brother began appointing people to key positions.
one MP said the key moment in the close race came when Lord Mandelson had endorsed David and warned against the destruction of New Labour under a new leader. She said there was such fury at the intervention by Lord Mandelson, who many blame for losing the last election and then cashing on on Labour troubles in a book, that MPs and party activists switched to Ed.
Ed, 40, is thought to have scored heavily among union members, which make up onethird of the vote.
And he is believed to be only four or five percentage points behind David, 45, among MPs and Labour Party members.
one member of the Ed campaign team said: "The movement has all been towards us in the last few days of voting. The indications we have been getting are far better than expected."
A David Miliband supporter said: "We remain quietly confident. The support amongst MPs and from constituencies has remained solid. We think we have enough in the bag."
SOURCE: MIRROR