Gap widens in chart race

RAGE Against The Machine widened the gap over X Factor winner Joe McElderry in the battle for the Christmas number one yesterday, building up a lead of more than 60,000 sales.

The release, seen as an anti-X Factor protest vote by music fans, edged ahead of the show’s winner on Tuesday — and new figures show the lead is growing.

Surprise contenders Rage Against The Machine (RATM) yesterday praised the internet campaign which has driven their sales and declared: “Let the people decide.”

The band’s track Killing In The Name — originally released in 1992 — and McElderry’s song The Climb together account for nearly 300,000 sales so far this week.