Meacher or McDonnell - Which one has the best chance to stop Brown?

Michael Meacher's decision to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership tells us a couple of things. Firstly it tells us that there is an alternative to the New Labour agenda that we are constantly told is the only direction the party can go in. It also tells us that the traditional 'Old' Labour camp has more than just John McDonnell as a contender. By entering the race, Meacher will bring attention to the alternative policies that are overlooked by the media and raise the profile of the left of the party, so in that respect Meacher's challenge is welcome news. The problem, of course, is that now the left-wing vote is split and unless one of them stands down to make way for the other the only victor will be Gordon Brown. Hopefully one of them will give way nearer the time of Blair's departure. As it is, both contenders are standing firm and neither of them has the necessary 45 signatures from Labour MPs to get on to the ballot.

John McDonnell says he has the support of about 22 MPs and Michael Meacher is claiming he has support from about 30 Labour MPs. These numbers may of course rise once any challenge gets under way, but it will be an uphill struggle for both of them. So the question is, who will blink first? Both MPs have reasonably good left-wing credentials although I would say John McDonnell definitely has the edge by not voting for the Iraq war and campaigning against it and also against the Lebanon war. More on his voting record here. On the other hand Michael Meacher did vote for the Iraq war but says:

However, he also voted against investigating the war. Meacher also voted for ID cards. Ironically, his voting record might make Meacher the more attractive candidate for those MPs who see John McDonnell as being too radical.

Michael Meacher says he is for a new direction on foreign policy, which should be "based on fundamental British interests, not subservience to the US". He also wants the scrapping of Trident nuclear weapons, huge investment in renewable energy, curbs on City bonuses, re-nationalisation of the railways and the national minimum wage raised to £7 an hour. John McDonnell is calling for: the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the end to privatisation of public services, an increase in the Basic State Pension from £84.25 to £114 a week, the restoration of trade union rights and civil liberties, the abolition of student tuition fees and, like Michael Meacher, a green energy policy based on renewable power sources and the raising of the Minimum Wage to £7 an hour.

Both of these candidates offer a departure from the failed policies of Tony Blair and New Labour and their policies are likely to be very different to those of Gordon Brown, (when he gets around to telling us what they actually are instead of presenting us with the anodyne statements we've had so far). However, the chances of either John McDonnell or Michael Meacher winning the leadership contest are still very slim but Brown's victory is also far from certain. If either of these contenders can secure enough votes to get on the ballot but still look unlikely to win outright, there is still a possibility that Brown might be forced to make concessions to the left, but as he's an architect of New Labour I wouldn't bet on him doing that.