Posted on 09/25/2010 10:12:43 AM PDT by gary_b_UK
Ed Miliband is the new Labour leader, it has been announced at a special conference in Manchester.
He beat brother David by the wafer thin margin of 50.65% to 49.35% after second, third and fourth preference votes came into play.
Ed Balls was third, Andy Burnham fourth and Diane Abbott last in the ballot of MPs, members and trade unionists.
Mr Miliband, 40, replaces acting leader Harriet Harman in the contest triggered by the resignation of Gordon Brown.
He paid tribute to each of his fellow candidates in turn and told the conference: "Today we draw a line under this contest and move forward united as a team."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Ed's brother (and probably the more electable candidate) David won both the Members of Parliament and Party Members sections of the electoral college, but Ed won overall thanks to a landslide in the trade union section.
This means that Ed Miliband was rejected by both the Labour Party MP's AND party members, but was elected thanks to the trade union barons. David Cameron and Nick Clegg are probably very thankful tonight.
Labour now led by a gangly schoolboy with no stage persona, he wont last long.
They could have elected someone with Balls.
A minor sidelight on this election: it means that both the main political parties in Britain have, within the space of seven years, elected a Jewish leader: Michael Howard (David Cameron’s predecessor) for the Conservatives and now Milliband for Labour. Perhaps may slightly temper the opinion of those inclined to overstate the growth of antisemitism in Britain.
Be interesting to see how Labour’s core muslim vote reacts to voting for a jewish leader.
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