Ed’s the man to lead the party - Meacher

Michael Meacher is backing Ed Miliband to be the next leader of the Labour party — not one of the left-wing candidates.

The Oldham West and Royton MP has added his support to Mr Miliband, who now has 49 nominations.

Five other candidates have declared they want to stand but only have until tomorrow to secure backing from at least 33 MPs.

Ed’s brother David was the first to declare and has 62 nominations, including Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas.

Shadow schools secretary Ed Balls has the required 33, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has 22 although it is rumoured he will secure the necessary backing.

Left-wing candidates John McDonnell has ten and Diane Abbott has seven.

Mr Meacher said: “I am impressed by him on several grounds, including that he prepared the Labour party manifesto which contained quite a number of radical innovative ideas which I respect

“He has been more ready to contest the conventional wisdom over the third runway at Heathrow when it was still strongly government policy and he made clear his opposition.

“I think Ed is open to more radical ideas which are separate from New Labour which we now have to put behind us.”

The successful candidate will be crowned on September 25 as the party‚s annual conference gets under way.