The battle to decide the Socialist candidate for the French presidential election will be whittled down to two in a primary vote today in which ex-prime minister Manuel Valls faces an outside risk of failing to make it to the party runoff. <br/><br/>Candidates who are to the left of Valls, such as former education minister Benoit Hamon and ex-economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, are nipping at his heels in the polls as the pro-business Socialist has struggled to defend his government's record. <br/><br/>Seven candidates from the Socialists and their allies are taking part in the first round of the primary, with polls closing at 1800 GMT (7.00 p.m. BST). A runoff will then be held on Jan. 29 to pick a candidate for the two-round presidential election on April 23 and May 7.