Member News
By Philippa Silverman - 22nd September 2010
Voting ends at 5pm today in the Labour leadership contest, following four months of campaigning by candidates.
The result is widely predicted to be a face-off between the two Miliband brothers, when the winner is announced on Saturday ahead of the party's annual conference.
Shadow schools secretary Ed Balls, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham and backbencher Diane Abbott are also fighting for the chance to lead the party.
The candidates are urging supporters to call around members to win over any undecided voters in the final 24 hours, with votes are expected to be cast on the Labour website until the last minute.
Once the new leader is announced, acting party leader Harriet Harman will return to her previous role as deputy party leader.
The new leader will not be able to pick their new top team, on Sunday nominations will open for the shadow cabinet¸ with Labour MPs voting to determine who should have a place.
Around 50 MPs are expected to put themselves forwards when nominations open.
The other members of the shadow cabinet, party leader, deputy leader, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour and the chief whip, are voted in separately.
The results are expected on October 7.
Voting also ends today in the race for Labour's nomination for the London mayoral elections in 2012, with former mayor Ken Livingstone and former MP Oona Kina seen as frontrunners. The party's decision will be announced on Friday.
Meanwhile a YouGov poll for the Sun today puts the Conservative Party level with the Labour party at 39 per cent. The Liberal Democrats are on 13 per cent.
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