How are the Labour leadership elections going (27.05.10 afternoon update)

As of 17:30 update today:
Diane Abbott - 1 (no change) - Just David 'Mastermind' Lammy, are you not going to nominate yourself Diane, not sure?
Ed Balls - 27 (up 2) - just three more today; running out of time and MPs Ed maybe you will need Gordon 'popular' Brown's nomination
Andy Burnham - 17 (up 3)
John McDonnell - 6 (up 1)
David Miliband - 54 (up 1) - keeping ahead of his younger, even smugger, brother
Ed Miliband - 45 (no change)

So who has fallen in behind Ed Balls today?
Stephen Hepburn - An ordinary backbench MP with no discernible links to Ed Balls or Gordon Brown
Khalid Mahmood - Ex PPS who resigned after signing a letter calling on Tony Blair to stand down as PM. I note that Wikipedia report that:

'In 2001, Mahmood was selected for the Perry Barr seat by an election of local Labour party members. In the election, over half the votes cast were postal votes, causing the Sandwell branch to pass a resolution of no confidence in Mahmood and organise a petition to Labour's National Executive Committee alleging "systematic abuse" of the postal ballot system.'

So one nominator unblemished by controversy and Khalid Mahmood. Ed Balls still needs six more nominations, will he get them without having to ask Gordon Brown to nominate him?

What has Khalid Mahmood been doing now?

The Sunday Mercury reports that:

"AN MP has admitted using his position to arrange for personal friends to hold their wedding receptions in exclusive House of Commons banquet rooms.

Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr) twice arranged with Westminster authorities for pals to use Parliamentary facilities with plush furnishings and silver cutlery.

MPs are entitled to book rooms in the Palace of Westminster at no cost – but on the assumption that they are used for Parliamentary business.

Records published by the Commons show former Labour minister Mr Mahmood booked a dining room for a wedding reception in February 2006.

In July 2009 he booked the Churchill Dining Room for another wedding reception. This is one of the largest dining rooms in the Palace of Westminster and opens on to the Commons Terrace, overlooking the Thames.

Members of the public usually have no access to Commons dining rooms, just yards from the Chamber where debates are held, and can only enter as the guest of an MP.

Hiring a large London venue for a wedding reception would usually cost thousands of pounds. However, it is impossible to estimate the value of hiring a room with the prestige and historical importance of a Commons banqueting suite, as they are simply not available to the public."

I wonder how much money was paid by Mr Mahmood's constituents and who was paid for what?

Khalid Mahmood does of course have a defence ready:

"The Muslim politician insisted he had done nothing wrong, saying: “This didn’t cost taxpayers anything and it opened up the House of Commons to people from my Birmingham constituency.”"

Really did the hire charges paid to the House authorities cover all wages, security costs etc.

Mr Mahmood said: “This didn’t cost the taxpayer anything. All the food and drinks were paid for by the families involved, not the public.

Really, what were the hire charges and who paid for what? Did the hire charges include the costs of all staff employed in the hired rooms that night and a proportion for the cost of security staff on duty that night? Did the hirers pay Khalid Mahmood or in any other way remunerate him for letting them use the Palace of Westminster for a private function?

"“The first was a wedding reception for friends from Small Heath.

“The second was for the son of a very good friend of mine from Aston. This was someone who did a lot of work in the community, and they had been struggling to find a venue.

“It was great to see people from Aston coming to the House of Commons. They had a fantastic time.’’"

All in the community and so long as they had a fantastic time who could possibly complain?

"He added: “At the end of the day, these facilities belong to taxpayers. It’s called the Palace of Westminster but it’s really the people’s palace.

“Most people in Aston or Small Heath would never have an opportunity to visit the House of Commons in this way. It was great to see my constituents using the facilities.

“I did this twice over four years or so. It’s not a regular thing. I haven’t abused anything.”""

Let's see all of the figures and then we can judge.