It is now looking more and more likely that Gordon Brown will survive. His supporters are busy pushing the line that the rebellion is confined to a disaffected Blairite rump. And so far that looks to be just about the truth of it. Despite high profile interventions today from Lord Falconer and Nick Raynsford, what little momentum the rebels managed to generate has clearly stalled, and with prominent left-wingers such as Dianne Abbot and John Cruddas lining up in support of Brown, the widespread support the rebels had hoped for has simply not materialised. It was always the case that this rebellion would go nowhere unless it could draw upon support from across the party and with every passing hour that now looks less likely. In truth, it was never likely that the left would line up in support of a leadership challenge engineered and organised by the right. Far better to wait until the right is at its weakest and its platform comprehensively defeated at the next election than move now and risk another victory for the right of the party. That is the basic calculation the left have made.

Their strategy is to wait until the balance of power shifts decisively to their advantage after defeat for the right at the election thus revealing one of the many unspoken truths of this aborted leadership challenge - that the left of the party are not looking to the coming election battle with the Tories at all, but rather to the post-election fight for the future shape and direction of the party. A common misconception is that the Labour party is united in wanting to win the next election. While the right certainly dread the prospect of losing, the unspoken truth is that many on the left are relishing it.

That is why they have aligned themselves with Brown. Not because of any misguided belief that he can lead them to victory. Nobody believes that - the one thing both wings of the party are united on is the belief that Brown cannot win the election - but rather in the conviction that only after a crushing defeat for the right will they be in a position to shape the party in accordance with their ideas.