Have you not seen today's polling?

The only reason he's not going to finish last is because even right-wingers like me don't want Blears at Deputy.

In response to point 3 - the polling seems to suggest that only 15% of Trade Union Levy payers intend to vote for him as their first choice (compared to 26% for Johnson) In response to point 7 - again, the polling just doesn't bare that out. He's behind Johnson, Benn and Harman amongst members and TULPs.

"He will unite all strands of the party" Piffle. If you admire him that's fine. But don't pretend he's got the support of everyone; it's demonstrably not true.

The one reservation I have about Cruddas is that he seems to perceive the role of Deputy Leader to be attacking the leadership in public (that's the impression I got from his answers on Newsnight). This is going to cause trouble because the press are always going to go to him for a quote on what he thinks of labour policy. This is a recipe for chaos.

Why on earth do people assume that just because the leadership of various unions has endorsed a particular candidate, the members will do the same? As a member of Amicus, I am increasingly frustrated by a leadership that on the one hand accuses the Labour party leadership of not listening to its members, but on the other has no mechanisms for asking me as an Amicus member what I think - nor seems particularly interested in doing so. Please remember that individual union members who pay the political levy are the ones who vote! Remember also that this is not a 'first past the post' vote but a transferable vote, and that 2nd and 3rd preferences will be crucial. I suspect that on this issue at least 'grimupnorth' is right and that Cruddas will not do as well as many 'bloggers' are predicting.

Leadership opinion polls are always flawed. Because of our electoral college system, YouGov have to take into account all three sections when they are conducting an opinion poll.

Oh dear. I'd love to know what planet some of you people are living on. Some home truths if I may? Cruddas will not win the DL election. His support in the PLP has crumbled and is likely now to poll 4th in this constituency. The only 2nd prefs are likey to come from Hain, which may help as he will go out before Cruddas, but not enough to bridge gap with Harman, Johnson or Benn. In the membership section, the overwhelming majority of members polled (in either recent YouGov or Mori) are assuming that because DL will have a democratic mandate that Brown will appoint her/him as DPM (no one at senior level is buying the tosh about him not wanting a ministerial position, in fact he has already lobbied for what he wants) - it is frankly inconceivable in most members minds that Cruddas should be DPM and 1st in line should anything happen to Brown. He may poll better in the TU section, but this will simply not be enough given the likely v low turnout and mechanics of the voting system to win through. The reality, which is now understood by Simpson in Amicus section of Unite is that they have grossly misplayed their hands by not calling for a vote in their Exec & Political Cttee's and, more importantly, by upsetting many MPs by adopting strong arm tactics and threatening to withdraw financial support from CLPs where the MP does not vote for Cruddas. Brown is, I'm told, "livid" about this and the leadership of Unite have been told that this is really not the way to start a relationship with a new leader, especially given the wish list of things that they want to put to him over the coming weeks. Cath

Just to remind people again who are thinking of not putting any second preferences: If you vote for Cruddas only (or any candidate) then you might actually stop him winning! Quick guide to voting in the labour deputy leadership The Ballot Paper Labour is using what the rules call a single round preferential voting system commonly known as the alternative vote. You vote by numbering the candidates in order of preference 1,2, 3 etc. No you don't have to give a preference to all the candidates, but my advice is to do so. Cast your first preference for the person want to win and the last for the person you really don't want to win and fill in the rest. If you only cast a couple of preferences then what you are saying is you have no view on the rest and this could actually help the person you don't want to win by reducing the number of votes he or she needs to get. The Electoral College This election is divided into three parts. each are equally important and is really a election in its self. If you are MP or MEP you will almost certainly have a vote in each part of the college, and if they are a member one or more of the Socialist Society's they will have even more votes. I have heard of individuals having up to 7 votes. Put simply the more money you give to the party via different channels the more votes you get. In each part of the college it is a winner takes all system within which it is OMOV, so the person who gets over 50% of the vote gets all the votes in that part of the college. So you could theoretically end up with a tie with 3 separate candidates winning a third of the votes in the electoral college. Isn't internal party democracy wonderful