Gordon Brown will today press on with his campaign to succeed British Prime Minister Tony Blair - despite the absence of a realistic challenge.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will spend the weekend on the campaign trail in a continuing bid to reinforce his leadership credentials in south east England where his electoral appeal is weakest.
At his formal campaign launch yesterday he promised to govern in a "different way", eschewing celebrity and rebuilding public trust by making government more accountable to Parliament.
Mr Brown is due to hold his first policy debate with his two left wing rivals for No 10 - Michael Meacher and John McDonnell - in London tomorrow.
Mr Meacher and Mr McDonnell insist that between them they can muster the 44 nominations by Labour MPs needed for one of them to go forward as a candidate.
The two are due to meet again on Monday to decide which of them should be the standard bearer for the left in the contest.
But even if they do secure enough nominations, there is little doubt at Westminster that whoever is chosen is facing certain defeat at the hands of the Chancellor.
In contrast, the battle to succeed John Prescott as deputy leader is shaping up to be a far closer contest.
Party chairman Hazel Blears yesterday became the third contender to claim the necessary 44 nominations to go forward as a candidate.
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain and Justice Minister Harriet Harman have already announced they have enough nominations, while Education Secretary Alan Johnson is thought to have more than enough MPs' votes in the bag.
The other two hopefuls - International Development Secretary Hilary Benn and backbencher Jon Cruddas - are both said to be confident they will also make it on to the ballot paper.
However it remains to be seen whether either man can get the nominations they need.