Labour leadership rivals hold talks

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The former environment minister said they had broadly agreed that the candidate with the least chance of securing the necessary 45 nominations would drop out of the race.

The two declared candidates from the left of the party will meet when Tony Blair announces his departure and compare their backing among Labour MPs.

The one with the fewest nominations will step aside, boosting the chance of the other to garner the 45 nominations needed to be entered in the ballot.

In an interview for the GMTV Sunday Programme, to be broadcast this weekend, Mr Meacher insisted he had enough backing to run.

He said 24 signatures were in the bag and that "above a dozen" MPs had said they would sign up nearer the date. Mr Meacher said his backers included "one or two" former ministers.

And he acknowledged: "There is a question that neither John McDonnell or I are going to get to 44 without the total votes which are available on the left."

He added: "When it comes to second preferences, when one of us drops out, his supporters have made clear that I would get the overwhelming majority of them to swing round and back me."

Mr Meacher said only a small number "perhaps three or five" of his supporters were willing to back Mr McDonnell.

Pressed on whether a deal has been done, he replied: "We have agreed to meet at a particular time in order to resolve this before the actual National Executive Committee meeting which sends out the nomination papers. We need to have one agreed candidate before that time, we're both agreed on that."