BRITAIN:Gordon Brown will be formally crowned Labour leader in succession to Tony Blair at a party rally in Manchester tomorrow, when the result of the contest for deputy leader will also be announced.
In a race widely accepted as difficult to call, the bookmakers have made education secretary Alan Johnson the favourite to succeed the departing John Prescott, followed by international development secretary Hilary Benn.
However, Northern Ireland and Welsh Secretary Peter Hain fought down to the wire last night, maintaining that he could be a surprise winner.
All three men would hope election by Labour's electoral college would also see them installed as deputy prime minister when Mr Brown forms his cabinet after becoming prime minister next Wednesday.
However the incoming prime minister is under no obligation to select any of the six candidates for deputy leader, and there is speculation that the post could instead go to his campaign manager, and current leader of the Commons, Jack Straw.
The other candidates for the deputy leadership are party chairwoman Hazel Blears, justice minister Harriet Harman and backbench MP Jon Cruddas.
Only Mr Cruddas has said that the new deputy leader should assume a campaigning role and not be appointed deputy prime minister.
With the successful advent of restored devolution and anticipating at least a strong showing in the deputy leadership contest, Mr Hain will have been presuming a shift and likely promotion from his Stormont post.
However, his departure from Belfast would seem assured in any event now, following the revelation that Mr Brown offered the job of Northern Ireland Secretary to former Liberal Democrat leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown earlier this week.
The row over Mr Brown's overture to Lord Ashdown behind the back of Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell rumbled on yesterday, with MP David Laws suggesting Mr Brown's offer was "not a visionary move designed to 'herald a new kind of politics' " but rather "low politics calculated to smother and strangle".
Mr Laws also asserted that "no Liberal Democrat leader now or in the future" would do deals with any government unless they delivered "liberal policies under-pinned by a fairer voting system" for Westminster.
However Mr Brown vowed he would still look beyond Westminster and would set party politics aside as he sought the best people to serve in his new government.
The prime minister-in-waiting also indicated he still planned to appoint some ministers from outside the Labour Party, despite internal party concerns about his discussions with the Liberal Democrats.
It was reported yesterday that he had offered former Metropolitan police commissioner John Stevens an administrative role although not one in the cabinet. Lord Stevens is understood to have declined the offer.
Mr Blair will take his last prime ministers questions for the last time in the Commons on Wednesday before formally taking leave of office in an audience with Queen Elizabeth.