It's not democracy that's inadequate, but a system of representative government in which only the enormously wealthy, or those who have indentured themselves to moneyed interests, can cross the threshold into leadership positions.
The draft rules propose a dramatic lowering of the nomination threshold in a leadership contest from 15% of Labour MPs and MEPs to 5%.
There are concerns on the left that if 20% of Labour MPs – the required threshold – trigger a leadership ballot there is uncertainty in the current rules about whether Corbyn would be allowed to put his name on the ballot.
In a slight concession to the concerns from MPs, Rudd agreed the threshold for triggering a leadership spill would be 60% when the party was in opposition.
By early evening that estimate had risen to 100 – well above 20% of the parliamentary party, which is the threshold needed to trigger a leadership election.
The objective remains not to beat Cameron on leadership numbers but to pass an acceptability threshold with voters, so that Miliband is if not loved than at least not disliked by the electorate.
China is expected to undergo a broad change in top leadership this year, even as its economy slows to the threshold rate considered safe for social stability.
Mr Javid said it was "always, absolutely" a Conservative plan to raise the income tax threshold - even though David Cameron said during the leadership debates in 2010 that it couldn't be done.
"The Republican leadership asked every Republican senator to affirmatively consent to lowering the threshold to taking up the debt ceiling from sixty votes to fifty votes.
"We know that Republican leadership has been very clear this will be a 60-vote threshold.
