The total disconnect between these five candidates and the electorate at large could mean that the Labour party could be out of power for a generation . As luck would have it the timing couldn't be better for a new leader to beat up on this ideologically confused ConDem coalition. However all of the serious candidates above are ideologically ambiguous and lack the break with the past that Labour so desperately needs. For the purposes of serious argument let's discount Diane Abbot (the tokenism of whose election has already disgusted any body with a labour bone in their body). I don't really see how David Miliband can disassociate himself with the biggest stain on New Labour's record: namely the Iraq War. He was also the foreign secretary that kept silent during the Gaza massacre. The other candidates are all to some extent also tainted with that failed policy and provide a continuation of the Blair/Brown antagonism that put personal animosity before rational decision making. What all these candidates lack is Blair's ability to appeal to the mass electorate. It is ironic that their downfall will be that they are all essentially Blairites.
Probable winner: Ed Miliband who has stolen a march on his brother and seems much more approachable
Best candidate for Labour's chances of re-election: Probably Andy Burnham. People know so little about him that he can pull off the best 'fake break' from the past that the others are so desperately trying to achieve. He also may be onto something when he goes on about the Labour party needing a leader who is not from the Metropolitan elite.
