The final count for the constituency Labour Party nominations are in with David Miliband winning out with 165 nominations and brother Ed Miliband an undeniably close second with 147.
David Miliband also has the nominations of 81 Labour MPs, 102 local Labour groups and picking up the support of Labour Students as well.
There is little doubt that David Miliband will win the first ballot, but the question is by how much. As other candidates, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Diane Abbott, drop out it will come down to the second preference votes.
The Ed Miliband campaign, backed by the Unite and the GMB unions, is pushing the idea that it is ahead in the race for second preference votes, but that is far from clear and if the primary vote held in Midlands Bassetlaw seat is anything to go by then David Miliband will still emerge as the new party leader.
In a constituency-wide primary of 33,000 party members and supporters David Miliband won with 50.3% of the vote on the first ballot and most of the second preferences. Constituency MP, John Mann, told the Guardian 33% of the electorate returned ballot papers and that he would switch his support to David Miliband.
The support of the 102 Labour groups and the strong showing in the CLP vote gives a strong indication that even David Miliband could pick up all the second preference votes he needs. Last night he was speaking in Wood Green, North London, and was well received by a packed crowd.
As for Ed Balls he has since denied pulling out of the race, but finished with only a handful of CLP nominations and looks almost certain to be knocked out of the ballot at an early stage.
