by Stuart Watkin

Created on: March 03, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Some 26 years after his father stood for Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party in a hotly contested election his son is standing for the same position. But this is not a case of like father like son. Tony Benn, an ex-Cabinet Minister in the 1970s had moved to the left and advocated a radical programme for the Labour Party. His son, Hilary, the current British International Development Secretary is a moderate and talks of practical politics to achieve social change.

A quarter of a century ago Benn was the favoured candidate of the left-wing of the Labour Party and was a standard bearer for their cause. This time round Hilary is unlikely to receive the support of those left-wingers still inside the Labour Party. Benn Junior has declared that he voted for his father in 1981 and Benn Senior will endorse his son for the Labour Party's number two job this time round. When Tony Benn stood against Denis Healey it was a straight fight between the two men, broadly characterised as left against right, this time the field is more crowded with no less than 6 candidates battling for the position. Alongside Benn Junior, Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education, Peter Hain, Northern Ireland Secretary, Hazel Blears, Labour Party Chair, Harriet Harman and backbencher Jon Cruddas have all launched campaigns.

Alan Johnson and Hazel Blears are seen as being on the Blairite right-wing of the Labour Party and would continue the policy agenda that the Labour Government has pursued for the last decade most likely. Benn is perhaps less enthusiastic about some of the market reforms that the Party has taken whilst Peter Hain has made leftish pronouncements in an attempt to appeal to the Party's trade union affiliates. The last candidate, Jon Cruddas campaign appears designed to appeal to the Party's grassroots support and points out that the Party has lost half of its membership in ten years. His campaign website specifically includes endorsements from rank and file trade unionists and Party members whilst the other candidates are vying with each other to declare Members of Parliaments backing.

To get onto the ballot paper each candidate needs to receive the support of an eighth of the Parliamentary Labour Party's 350 odd members - 44 MPs. Nominations will formally open when the current Leader and Deputy Leader, Tony Blair and John Prescott stand down from office, widely expected to be between May and June of this year.

Whilst nearly 90 MPs have publicly declared their support for a preferred candidate many others are holding back to see which way the race develops and to take soundings from their local Constituency Labour Parties.

Amongst the trade unions, who have one third of the electoral college (the other two thirds being divided between the Parliamentary Labour Party and individual Party members) it is likely that the giant Transport and General Workers Union and engineering union, Amicus along with the transport union, TSSA will nominate Cruddas. The rest of the Labour Party's affiliated fourteen unions appear to be up for grabs by any one of the six candidates.

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