The attribution of votes went to the last round of a contest which had been dominated by the Milliband brothers, both of whom have been cabinet ministers with the Labour government.
The complicated voting system meant that for several minutes, percentages were read out and candidates eliminated until the final moment when one candidate had 50% of the total vote plus one vote. Ed pipped his brother with just over one percent more than David’s 49.35%.
There was a possibility that a polarization of the previous affiliations and present supporters of the Miliband brothers would damage the Party, with Tony Blair commenting positively about David in his memoirs and in interviews.
Ed Milliband worked at Treasury with Gordon Brown and became Secretary Of State for Energy and Climate Change. He has asked for a return to more grass roots contact with the electorate away from New Labour policies which won the Party three elections.
David has tried to distance himself recently with Blair’s dodgy profile coming center-stage after showing himself unrepentant about invading Iraq on slim evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction and his ‘blood money’ donation to injured soldiers.
Ed Milliband accepted his new role with thanks to the Party for the great honour they had bestowed on him and he praised the campaigns of his co-leadership race runners and talked of bringing the Party together.
Voting finished at 3 p.m. on Wednesday 22nd with MPs, MEPs and party members casting their choices. Affiliated trade unions and socialist groups finished their voting on Monday.
Labour use a tripartite electoral college. MPs and MEPs carry the most value per vote. Party members come next with affiliated trade unions with socialist societies having the last third.
The New Statesman notes that the vote of one MP is worth the votes of 608 party members and 12,915 affiliated members. The vote of one party member is worth the votes of 21 affiliated members.
