As the Labour Leadership battle draws to a close, Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw talks about the campaign, Labour's challenge and the shadow cabinet

By Ben Bradshaw, on Saturday, September 25, 2010

At last, Labour will have a new leader. Delegates to the annual party conference will gather in Manchester to hear the new leader announced late on in the afternoon. It’s the first Labour leadership campaign for decades in which we haven’t had a good idea of the outcome.

What is almost certain, though, is that the victor’s name will be Miliband. I would be happy with either brother or Ed Balls. They are all strong candidates, who would make good leaders and potentially excellent Prime Ministers. But David is my preferred choice. He has, on balance, greater leadership qualities and experience. During the campaign he has resisted dismissing the Labour Government’s record, while spelling out a fresh, radical programme for the future. He has also had the courage to speak uncomfortable truths to the Party itself – not likely to win him votes in the leadership election – but a necessary quality of good leadership.

Whoever wins they will inherit a party in remarkably good shape, given the bad defeat we suffered in the general election.

Labour received its second lowest share of the vote in modern history and was reduced to just 10 MPs in southern England outside London, down from 45 before the election. We have a good hill to climb. There are several reasons why people are in good spirits.

Firstly, the Tories didn’t win the outright majority everyone predicted.

Secondly, in spite of the distraction of a leadership election, Labour has provided effective opposition to the new Government – and we’re already back level pegging with the Tories – who have had the shortest political honeymoon in history.

Thirdly we are picking up a lot of support from ex Liberal Democrats who are furious about Nick Clegg putting Cameron in power and providing political cover for a Government that is more Thatcherite than Thatcher.

Fourthly, this is already leading to good results for Labour in real by-elections, as we saw this month in Exeter where the Tories lost badly and the Lib Dem vote collapsed.

Once the leader is in place the process of electing a shadow cabinet begins. This means the shadow cabinet could look very different from the Labour cabinet in Government. I’m throwing my hat in the ring, not least because it’s important that a “southern voice” is heard round the shadow cabinet table. But, with around 60 people standing, I won’t be a shoe in!