Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Labour Party leadership election was triggered by a general election which resulted in a hung parliament
. On 10 May, Gordon Brown
resigned as Leader of the Labour Party. The following day, he stepped down as Prime Minister
.
The National Executive Committee
decided the timetable for the election the result of which would be announced at the annual party conference. On 25 September, Ed Miliband
became the new Leader of the Labour Party.
." As the number of Labour MPs is 257 (the 258 returned at the general election minus Eric Illsley
, who was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party) 33 MPs need to support any nomination. Nominations opened on 24 May and were to close on 27 May, but the deadline was extended to 9 June after complaints from John McDonnell
, Diane Abbott
and Ed Miliband that the short deadline provided insufficient time to secure the 33 nominations from MPs needed for inclusion on the ballot. The ballot
took place between 1 and 22 September, with the results announced on the first day of the party's conference in Manchester
on 25 September. There were three distinct electorates, the electors of which cast their votes on a "one member, one vote
" basis in each applicable category:
Each of the three electorates or sections contributed one third (33.33 per cent) of the total votes and were counted using the Alternative Vote
system. The election was run by the National Executive Committee
and the results were announced at the annual conference
in September 2010.
had included both an envelope containing the ballot paper, and promotional material for Ed Miliband, their favoured candidate, in the same envelope, attracting criticism that they had breached the spirit of the rules.
held on 10 May 2010, it was agreed that no one would announce their candidacy until after formal negotiations in regards to forming a government were resolved. The Conservative Party
and Liberal Democrats
formed a coalition on 11 May, and David Miliband became the first person to announce his candidacy the following day. A total of six candidates emerged by 20 May:
On 9 June John McDonnell withdrew from the contest in favour of Diane Abbott, who eventually made the ballot paper.
. The final nominations figures were as follows:
In the months before the 2010 general election, some other notable politicians were mentioned as possible future leadership candidates, but were not sitting MPs at the time the contest took place, and therefore not eligible to stand under Labour Party rules. Those mentioned as possible leaders in this regard were Ruth Kelly
, Peter Mandelson
and James Purnell
.
All three of them backed David Miliband
.
system, until one candidate won a majority
, the candidate with the fewest votes in each round was eliminated and his or her second preference votes distributed to other candidates.
The total of first-round votes for Balls, Burnham, and Abbott (27.89%) was less than Ed Miliband's vote (34.33%). Thus, it was certain after the first round that Balls, Burnham, and Abbott would all be eliminated; if the Party rules permitted, they could have been eliminated together, reducing the contest to two rounds.
Source: Labour Party website
, Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford), and Diane Abbot won no constituencies. All ties with the exception of Wigan (Andy Burnham and David Miliband) were between David and Ed Miliband. Northern Ireland was counted as one constituency.
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
. On 10 May, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
resigned as Leader of the Labour Party. The following day, he stepped down as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
.
The National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
decided the timetable for the election the result of which would be announced at the annual party conference. On 25 September, Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
became the new Leader of the Labour Party.
Procedure
The rules of the Labour Party state that "each nomination [for leader] must be supported by 12.5 per cent of the Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour PartyParliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
." As the number of Labour MPs is 257 (the 258 returned at the general election minus Eric Illsley
Eric Illsley
Eric Evlyn Illsley is a former British politician who was the Member of Parliament for Barnsley Central from 1987 until 2011. He was a Labour Party representative until suspended from the party after being charged with false accounting as part of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal,...
, who was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party) 33 MPs need to support any nomination. Nominations opened on 24 May and were to close on 27 May, but the deadline was extended to 9 June after complaints from John McDonnell
John McDonnell (politician)
John Martin McDonnell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington since 1997; he serves as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the Labour Representation Committee, and the "Public Services Not Private Profit Group"...
, Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott
Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
and Ed Miliband that the short deadline provided insufficient time to secure the 33 nominations from MPs needed for inclusion on the ballot. The ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
took place between 1 and 22 September, with the results announced on the first day of the party's conference in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on 25 September. There were three distinct electorates, the electors of which cast their votes on a "one member, one vote
One member, one vote
One member, one vote , as used in the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Canadian provinces, is a proposal to select party leaders and/or determine party policy, by a direct vote of the members of each party...
" basis in each applicable category:
- Labour members of the House of Commons and the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
- Individual members of the party
- Individual members of affiliated organisations, such as trade unions and socialist societies
Each of the three electorates or sections contributed one third (33.33 per cent) of the total votes and were counted using the Alternative Vote
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
system. The election was run by the National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
and the results were announced at the annual conference
Labour Party (UK) Conference
The Labour Party Conference, or annual national conference of the Labour Party, is formally the supreme decision-making body of the Party.-Conference decisions:...
in September 2010.
Union recommendation controversy
Under Labour Party rules, trade unions are allowed to make recommendations to their members, but are barred from doing this in the same communication that contains the ballot paper. During the election, it emerged that both the GMB and UniteUnite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
had included both an envelope containing the ballot paper, and promotional material for Ed Miliband, their favoured candidate, in the same envelope, attracting criticism that they had breached the spirit of the rules.
Candidates
At a meeting of the CabinetCabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
held on 10 May 2010, it was agreed that no one would announce their candidacy until after formal negotiations in regards to forming a government were resolved. The Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
formed a coalition on 11 May, and David Miliband became the first person to announce his candidacy the following day. A total of six candidates emerged by 20 May:
- Diane AbbottDiane AbbottDiane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
, announced 20 May - Ed BallsEd BallsEdward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, announced 19 May - Andy Burnham, announced 20 May
- John McDonnellJohn McDonnell (politician)John Martin McDonnell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington since 1997; he serves as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the Labour Representation Committee, and the "Public Services Not Private Profit Group"...
, announced 18 May; withdrew 9 June - David MilibandDavid MilibandDavid Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, announced 12 May - Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
, announced 14 May
On 9 June John McDonnell withdrew from the contest in favour of Diane Abbott, who eventually made the ballot paper.
Nominations
Candidates must receive nominations from at least 12.5 per cent of the 257 Parliamentary Labour Party members (33) to appear on the ballot. John McDonnell had 16 nominations when he withdrew on 9 June, in favour of Diane AbbottDiane Abbott
Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
. The final nominations figures were as follows:
| Candidate | Constituency | Nominations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diane Abbott Diane Abbott Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons... |
Hackney North and Stoke Newington | 33 | 12.84% |
| Ed Balls Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.... |
Morley and Outwood Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency) Morley and Outwood is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
33 | 12.84% |
| Andy Burnham | Leigh Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) Leigh is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
33 | 12.84% |
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
South Shields South Shields (UK Parliament constituency) South Shields is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
81 | 31.52% |
| Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
Doncaster North Doncaster North (UK Parliament constituency) - Sources :* Election results from 1992 to the present* Election results from 1945 to the present* The website of Ed Miliband... |
63 | 24.51% |
Noteworthy MPs who declined to stand
Some MPs seen as potential candidates decided against doing so:- Yvette CooperYvette CooperYvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary...
– supported her husband Ed BallsEd BallsEdward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, former Work and Pensions Secretary - Jon CruddasJon CruddasJonathan Cruddas is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. He was first elected in 2001 to the seat of Dagenham....
– backbencher who stood for Deputy Leader in 2007; He nominated Diane AbbottDiane AbbottDiane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
, supported David MilibandDavid MilibandDavid Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, - Alistair DarlingAlistair DarlingAlistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
– supported David MilibandDavid MilibandDavid Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
former Chancellor of the Exchequer - Peter HainPeter HainPeter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
– supported Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
, former Wales Secretary, previously Northern Ireland and Work and Pensions Secretary - Harriet HarmanHarriet HarmanHarriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
– neutral but nominated Diane AbbottDiane AbbottDiane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
, acting leader following Gordon Brown's departure, former Leader of the House of Commons - Alan JohnsonAlan JohnsonAlan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was...
– supported David MilibandDavid MilibandDavid Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, former Home Secretary, previously Health Secretary and Education Secretary - Jack StrawJack StrawJack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
– nominated Diane AbbottDiane AbbottDiane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
and supported David Milliband, former Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, previously Foreign and Home Secretary
In the months before the 2010 general election, some other notable politicians were mentioned as possible future leadership candidates, but were not sitting MPs at the time the contest took place, and therefore not eligible to stand under Labour Party rules. Those mentioned as possible leaders in this regard were Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
, Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
and James Purnell
James Purnell
James Mark Dakin Purnell is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde from 2001 to 2010. He is currently the Head of the Open Left project at the left leaning think tank Demos...
.
All three of them backed David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
.
Televised debates
| Title | Date | Moderator | Channel | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newsnight Newsnight Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades.... |
Tuesday 15 June; 10:30 | Jeremy Paxman Jeremy Paxman Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians... |
BBC Two BBC Two BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... |
As it happened: Newsnight Labour leader hustings |
| Channel 4 News Channel 4 News Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:... |
Wednesday 1 September; 19:00 | Jon Snow Jon Snow Jon Snow is an English journalist and presenter, currently employed by ITN. He is best known for presenting Channel 4 News.He was Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University from 2001 to 2008.-Early life:... |
Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... |
Labour leadership: live Channel 4 debate |
| Sky News Sky News Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New... |
Sunday 5 September; 10:30 | Adam Boulton Adam Boulton Adam Boulton is political editor of the British television channel Sky News, a post he has held since being asked to establish the politics team for the launch of the channel in 1989.-Biography:... |
Sky News | Labour Leader Debate: Submit Your Question |
| Question Time Question Time (TV series) Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience... |
Thursday 16 September; 22:35 | David Dimbleby David Dimbleby David Dimbleby is a British BBC TV commentator and a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, most notably the BBC's flagship political show Question Time, and more recently, art, architectural history and history series... |
BBC One BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... |
Question Time Labour leadership special |
Opinion polling
| Section | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-preference votes | Run-off | |||||||
| Diane Abbott Diane Abbott Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons... |
Ed Balls Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.... |
Andy Burnham | David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
||
| YouGov/The Sun (27-29 July 2010) | ||||||||
| Constituency Labour Parties | 13% | 7% | 10% | 38% | 32% | 50% | 50% | |
| Affiliated Socialist Societies Socialist societies A socialist society is a membership organisation that is affiliated with the Labour Party in the UK.The best-known socialist society is the Fabian Society, founded in 1884, some years before the creation of the Labour Party itself . The Society's membership is relatively small , but in Labour... and Trade Unions |
17% | 11% | 13% | 34% | 26% | 56% | 44% | |
| Parliamentary Labour Party Parliamentary Labour Party In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body.... |
5% | 14% | 12% | 39% | 30% | 55% | 45% | |
| Total | 12% | 11% | 12% | 37% | 29% | 54% | 46% | |
| YouGov YouGov YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi... /The Sun (7-10 September 2010) |
||||||||
| Constituency Labour Parties | 11% | 9% | 10% | 38% | 31% | 48% | 52% | |
| Affiliated Socialist Societies Socialist societies A socialist society is a membership organisation that is affiliated with the Labour Party in the UK.The best-known socialist society is the Fabian Society, founded in 1884, some years before the creation of the Labour Party itself . The Society's membership is relatively small , but in Labour... and Trade Unions |
12% | 9% | 14% | 29% | 36% | 43% | 57% | |
| Parliamentary Labour Party Parliamentary Labour Party In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body.... |
4% | 14% | 11% | 41% | 29% | 56% | 44% | |
| Total | 9% | 11% | 12% | 36% | 32% | 49% | 51% | |
Results
In accordance with the principles of the Alternative VoteInstant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
system, until one candidate won a majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
, the candidate with the fewest votes in each round was eliminated and his or her second preference votes distributed to other candidates.
| Candidate | MPs/MEPs | Labour Party members | Affiliated members | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | % | |||
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
111 | 13.91% | 55,905 | 14.69% | 58,189 | 9.18% | 37.78% | ||
| Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
84 | 10.53% | 37,980 | 9.98% | 87,585 | 13.82% | 34.33% | ||
| Ed Balls Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.... |
40 | 5.01% | 12,831 | 3.37% | 21,618 | 3.41% | 11.79% | ||
| Andy Burnham | 24 | 3.01% | 10,844 | 2.85% | 17,904 | 2.83% | 8.68% | ||
| Diane Abbott Diane Abbott Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons... |
7 | 0.88% | 9,314 | 2.45% | 25,938 | 4.09% | 7.42% | ||
The total of first-round votes for Balls, Burnham, and Abbott (27.89%) was less than Ed Miliband's vote (34.33%). Thus, it was certain after the first round that Balls, Burnham, and Abbott would all be eliminated; if the Party rules permitted, they could have been eliminated together, reducing the contest to two rounds.
| Candidate | MPs/MEPs | Labour Party members | Affiliated members | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | % | |||
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
111 | 14.02% | 57,128 | 15.08% | 61,336 | 9.80% | 38.89% | ||
| Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
88 | 11.11% | 42,176 | 11.13% | 95,335 | 15.23% | 37.47% | ||
| Ed Balls Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.... |
41 | 5.18% | 14,510 | 3.83% | 26,441 | 4.22% | 13.23% | ||
| Andy Burnham | 24 | 3.03% | 12,498 | 3.30% | 25,528 | 4.08% | 10.41% | ||
| Candidate | MPs/MEPs | Labour Party members | Affiliated members | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | % | |||
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
125 | 15.78% | 60,375 | 16.08% | 66,889 | 10.86% | 42.72% | ||
| Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
96 | 12.12% | 46,697 | 12.43% | 102,882 | 16.71% | 41.26% | ||
| Ed Balls Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.... |
43 | 5.43% | 18,114 | 4.82% | 35,512 | 5.77% | 16.02% | ||
| Candidate | MPs/MEPs | Labour Party members | Affiliated members | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | % | |||
| Ed Miliband Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... |
122 | 15.52% | 55,992 | 15.20% | 119,405 | 19.93% | 50.65% | ||
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
140 | 17.81% | 66,814 | 18.13% | 80,266 | 13.40% | 49.35% | ||
Source: Labour Party website
Results Map
The below map shows the results of the leadership election by constituency. David Miliband took the most constituencies, winning 577 in total. He was followed by Ed Miliband who took sixty-seven constituencies. Andy Burnham won eight seats, all in the north-west, Ed Balls took two constituencies (his own, Morley & Outwood, and that of his wife, Yvette CooperYvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary...
, Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford), and Diane Abbot won no constituencies. All ties with the exception of Wigan (Andy Burnham and David Miliband) were between David and Ed Miliband. Northern Ireland was counted as one constituency.
See also
- Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2007Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2007The 2007 Labour Party Leadership Election was formally triggered on 10 May 2007 by the resignation of Tony Blair, Labour Leader since the previous leadership contest on 21 July 1994...
- Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election, 2007Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election, 2007The 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election was a British political party election for the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party. John Prescott, the previous deputy leader, announced on 10 May 2007 that he was standing down from that position and that he would be leaving as deputy...
- Labour Party Rule BookLabour Party Rule BookThe Labour Party Rule Book is the governing document for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom.The Labour Party Constitution forms the first chapter of the Rule Book and contains the most important principles and provisions for Labour Party governance. The chapter is divided into ten sections...
News
- Factbox - Rules governing Labour leadership elections Reuters, 10 May 2010
- Labour party leadership The Guardian