Labour rivals resume hustings fight

Education Secretary Alan Johnson, justice minister Harriet Harman, Development Secretary Hilary Benn, party chairwoman Hazel Blears, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain and backbencher Jon Cruddas will reconvene in Sheffield.

And they will be joined by Prime-Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown, who is obliged to address the meetings even though he will succeed Tony Blair without a contest.

Saturday's event - with trade unionists in Bristol - was dominated by a row over Mr Johnson's call for private schools to do more to help the state sector, including loaning teachers.

Candidates were also united in demanding an expansion in council house provision following controversy over a ministerial colleague's call for immigrants to been given less priority.

Mr Brown refused to be drawn on which of his colleagues he would most like to see as his number two.

One newspaper report today suggests he would prefer Ms Harman.

But asked on Saturday to pick his favourite, a smiling Mr Brown said simply: "They are all good candidates. They are all excellent. It's up to the Labour Party to make that decision."

Ordinary party members control a third of the vote in next month's election, with another third going to about three million members of unions and other affiliated bodies and the rest to the party's MPs and MEPs.

The winner will be declared at a special Labour conference in Manchester on Sunday, June 24, three days before Tony Blair has said he will resign as Prime Minister.