Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election, 2007

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section contains information about an upcoming or ongoing election. Content may change dramatically as the election approaches and unfolds.

The 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election is a British political party election for the position of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and in the event of the leader for some reason having to stand down or dying then the Deputy Leader becomes leader, John Prescott has announced that he will go as Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader at the same time as Tony Blair - if he stands down as deputy leader on the same day as Tony Blair stands down as leader then the Deputy Leadership election and Labour Party leadership election will both be on the same day, if he leaves it until Tony Blair stands down as Prime Minister then it will be two months later. ^[1]

An increasing number of Labour MP's and members of the NEC have been been attempting to get an election for the position of deputy leader abandoned in order to save the £2,000,000 it is estimated that the contest would cost.^[2][3] There would need to be a special conference convened if such an alteration were to be made.

Contents 1 Current deputy leader's resignation 2 Candidates 2.1 Declared candidates 2.2 Possible candidates 2.3 Declined 3 References

[edit] Current deputy leader's resignation

On 28 September 2006, John Prescott - the current deputy leader - told the Labour Party Conference he would stand down when Tony Blair stands down as Prime Minister^[4]. Although Prescott said he intended to oversee Labour's leadership election, many in the Labour Party want to avoid the extra cost and hassle of having the two elections on different days.^[5]

[edit] Candidates

[edit] Declared candidates

• Harriet Harman^[6]
• Peter Hain^[7]
• Jon Cruddas^{[8] [9]}
• Hilary Benn^[10]
• Alan Johnson^[11]

[edit] Possible candidates

The following candidates have been named by several press outlets as possible candidates, and some have publicly declared a possible interest in the past.

• Hazel Blears - on the Politics Show on BBC1 17 September 2006 she said she would not announce herself as a candidate and that her position as Chairman of the Labour Party ruled it out. However she has taken the position that as long as there still is a deputy leader (John Prescott), it is premature to have a deputy leadership election with declared candidates
• Jack Straw^[12]
• Tessa Jowell

[edit] Declined

• Ed Balls
• Patricia Hewitt - backing Harriet Harman, in response to a question from John Pienaar on The Weekend News on BBC Radio Five Live on 9 December 2006.

[edit] References

1. ^ Prescott tells Labour: I'm sorry BBC News
2. ^ Labour may call off deputy leader race The Independent
3. ^ Axe Labour deputy post, MP says BBC News
4. ^ Prescott tells Labour: I'm sorry BBC News
5. ^ PREZZ AARGH! EXCLUSIVE He says he'll stay on after Blair leaves Sunday Mirror
6. ^ Harman intends Labour deputy bid BBC News
7. ^ Labour deputy race gathers pace BBC News
8. ^ Ex-No 10 aide Cruddas will stand BBC News
9. ^ Leftwinger launches deputy leadership campaign The Guardian
10. ^ Benn to run for deputy position BBC News
11. ^ U.K.'s Johnson Abandons Labour Party Leadership Race (Update2)
12. ^ Surprise frontrunner in race for deputy leader

Labour Party (UK) leadership elections
1922 (Macdonald) | 1935 (Attlee) | 1955 (Gaitskell) | 1960 | 1961 | 1963 (Wilson) | 1976 (Callaghan) | 1980 (Foot) | 1983 (Kinnock) | 1988 | 1992 (Smith) | 1994 (Blair) | 2007