Deputy Labour Leadership Contest

Labour deputy leadership: support grows for Cruddas

MP shortlists divide candidates

Labour's deputy leader contenders are split on the idea of shortlists made up only of people from ethnic minorities.

Hazel Blears, Jon Cruddas and Peter Hain told a hustings event in Leicester they backed such lists to boost the numbers of black and Asian MPs.

Alan Johnson and Hilary Benn said they were not persuaded. Harriet Harman did not say whether she backed them or not.

For a while now I've been puzzled why there was little competition for Leader of the Labour Party but there is more activity with the position of Deputy Leader.

Its to do with party politics, by becoming Deputy Leader of Labour they are getting top of the tree in the party, a way to shove two fingers at your colleagues plus the possibility of Gordon Brown appointing them to a plumb Cabinet post.