Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1976

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The Labour Party leadership election of 1976 occurred when former leader Harold Wilson resigned as Party Leader and Prime Minister.

In the first ballot, held on 25 March, six candidates vied for the leadership: Employment Secretary Michael Foot; Foreign Secretary Jim Callaghan; Home Secretary Roy Jenkins; the Chancellor Denis Healey; Tony Benn, the Energy Secretary and Tony Crosland the Environment Secretary.

First Ballot: 25 March 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Michael Foot	90	28.7%
	Jim Callaghan	84	26.8%
	Roy Jenkins	56	17.8%
	Tony Benn	37	11.8%
	Denis Healey	30	9.6%
	Tony Crosland	17	5.3%
Majority		6	1.9%
Turnout		314
	Second Ballot required

As a result of the first ballot, Jenkins, Benn and Crosland withdrew from the contest. The remaining three candidates would face each other in a second ballot, five days later.

Second Ballot: 30 March 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Jim Callaghan	141	45.2%
	Michael Foot	133	42.6%
	Denis Healey	38	12.2%
Majority		8	2.6%
Turnout		312
	Third Ballot required

Because no candidate achieved an absolute majority, the candidate with the lowest number of votes was eliminated (in this case Healey). A final run-off ballot was held six days later.

Third Ballot: 5 April 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Jim Callaghan	176	56.2%
	Michael Foot	137	43.8%
Majority		39	12.4%
Turnout		313
	Callaghan elected leader

Immediately upon his election as Labour leader, Callaghan succeeded Wilson as Prime Minister.

[edit] References

• Tony Benn, The Benn Diaries (Arrow, 1995).

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