| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party |
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|---|---|
| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Appointer | Labour Party |
| Inaugural holder | John Robert Clynes |
| Formation | 1922 |
| Website | Harriet Harman MP Labour Deputy Leader |
The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is a senior politician in the British Labour Party. The post is currently held by Harriet Harman, who was elected deputy on 24 June 2007
Unlike other political party leaders, the Labour leader does not have the power to appoint or dismiss his or her deputy. The post is instead elected using the party's electoral college system; it was elected by Labour MPs before 1981.
Recently, the office of Deputy Prime Minister has been revived and held by senior politicians in the governing party. The previous Labour Deputy Leader, John Prescott, held this post from 1997 to 2007. However, the Deputy Leader is essentially a party official and there is no constitutional link between the two roles. The former Labour British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced on his formal election as Labour leader that the newly elected deputy leader, Harriet Harman, would instead become Party Chair. Brown subsequently appointed her Leader of the House of Commons in his first Cabinet.
To date, the only Deputy Leaders who have gone on to become the Leader of the Labour Party are Clement Attlee and Michael Foot. Conversely, John Robert Clynes served as Leader prior to becoming Deputy Leader.
| Portrait | Term began | Term ended | Born | Death | Office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Robert Clynes | 1922 | 1932 | 27 March 1869 | 23 October 1949 | Home Secretary | |
| 2 | William Graham (jointly with John Robert Clynes) |
1931 | 1932 | 29 July 1887 | 8 January 1932 | President of the Board of Trade | |
| 3 | Clement Attlee | 1932 | 1935 | 3 January 1883 | 8 October 1967 | None | |
| 4 | Arthur Greenwood | 1935 | 1945 | 8 February 1880 | 9 June 1954 | Minister without portfolio | |
| 5 | Herbert Morrison | 1945 | 1955 | 3 January 1888 | 6 March 1965 | Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Leader of the House of Commons |
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| 6 | Jim Griffiths | 1955 | 1959 | 19 September 1890 | 7 August 1975 | None | |
| 7 | Aneurin Bevan | 1959 | 6 July 1960 Died in office |
15 November 1897 | 6 July 1960 | None | |
| 8 | George Brown | 1960 | 18 June 1970 Lost seat |
2 September 1914 | 2 June 1985 | First Secretary of State Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Secretary of State for Economic Affairs |
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| 9 | Roy Jenkins | 19 June 1970 | 7 April 1972 | 11 November 1920 | 5 January 2003 | Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| 10 | Edward Short | April 1972 | 1976 | 17 December 1912 | — | Leader of the House of Commons | |
| 11 | Michael Foot | 1976 | 4 November 1980 Elected Leader |
23 July 1913 | 3 March 2010 | Leader of the House of Commons | |
| 12 | Denis Healey | 4 November 1980 | 2 October 1983 | 30 August 1917 | — | Shadow Foreign Secretary | |
| 13 | Roy Hattersley | 2 October 1983 | 18 July 1992 | 28 December 1932 | — | Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Shadow Home Secretary |
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| 14 | Margaret Beckett | 18 July 1992 | 21 July 1994 | 15 January 1943 | — | Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | |
| 15 | John Prescott | 21 July 1994 | 24 June 2007 | 31 May 1938 | — | Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom First Secretary of State Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions |
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| 16 | Harriet Harman | 24 June 2007 | Present | 30 July 1950 | — | Leader of the House of Commons Minister for Women and Equalities Labour Party Chair Shadow International Development Secretary |
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