Labour Leadership

Wednesday, 09, May 2007 12:00

What is the Labour leadership?

The Labour party leader heads the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and is appointed as prime minister when the party holds a majority in the House of Commons. In practice, the leader shapes the direction and policy of the party.

Tony Blair has led the Labour party since 1994 but announced after the 2005 election that he would not seek a fourth term in government. Mr Blair had initially been expected to resign at the end of his third parliamentary term. However, under pressure from party members he confirmed in 2006 that he would stand down as leader and prime minister in 2007.

Mr Blair has confirmed that he will step down as prime minister on June 27th, also resigning as Labour leader. A new Labour party leader will be elected at a special conference on June 24th.

Background

The Labour party is technically "under the direction and control of the party conference". Held annually, it is at the Labour Party Conference (LPC) that policy is formulated and the National Executive Committee (NEC) elected. The NEC "takes the political and management decisions for the party outside the LPC". It thereby governs the party at a national level, along with the National Policy Forum and the LPC).

In practice the leader of the PLP leads the party. Since 1994 this has been Tony Blair and his instrumental role in shaping New Labour demonstrates the influence of the party leader.

The leader is elected by the PLP (which is made up of all Labour MPs), trade union members affiliated to the Labour party, and ordinary party members. Each group is weighted to represent a third of the final vote. In this way, the selection of Labour leader is designed to reflects the party's foundations.

To get onto the leadership ballot candidates must have the support of 12.5 per cent of MPs. For the 2007 election this requires candidates to be nominated by 44 sitting MPs, alongside their own nomination. Under the current make-up of the Commons, this means no more than eight candidates could stand for the leadership.

In 2007, the Labour leadership contest officially began when Mr Blair announced that he would step down as prime minister on June 27th. The NEC must then meet within 72 hours of his statement and a six to seven-week campaign process will begin. At the end of this period of hustings, a special conference will be held on June 24th where the new leader is officially elected.

The successful leader will not officially become prime minister until they are appointed by the Queen.

Controversies

The NEC has already announced that if only one candidate obtains the necessary 45 signatures to make it on to the ballet, an election will not be held. The candidate will have to attend hustings alongside the deputy leadership candidates before they are appointed leader. However, some within the Labour party have warned that a leadership "coronation" will damage the party.

Because Labour are in government and hold a strong majority, the next Labour leader will become prime minister. Mr Blair stood in the 2005 election on the promise he would serve a full term. Opposition parties have therefore called for a snap election soon after the new leader takes power, insisting the public should be given the opportunity to approve the new prime minister.

This is unlikely to happen, as the Labour party argues the public never directly elects a prime minister, but vote for a party which in turn selects its leader. There is a precedent against holding an election; John Major became leader of the Conservative party and prime minister in 1990, but a general election was not held until 1992.

Mr Blair was forced to confirm he would stand down before September 2007 after what many described as an attempted leadership coup in summer 2006. In May 2006, 50 Labour MPs were understood to have signed a letter calling for Mr Blair to name the date of his departure. At the time, Mr Brown called for an "orderly" handover of power and attempted to refute suggestions his supporters were attempting to oust Mr Blair. Further pressure from MPs in September forced Mr Blair to announce he would leave within 12 months.

By confirming his departure in 2007, critics claimed Mr Blair risked becoming a lame duck prime minister.

The question of who will be standing for the Labour leadership has inevitably been the subject of much controversy and speculation. The chancellor Gordon Brown has long been regarded as the "natural successor" to Mr Blair, following the so-called Granita Deal when Mr Blair allegedly promised Mr Brown he would step aside as leader.

Members opposed to New Labour hope the 2007 leadership election will return a leader from the party's traditional left-wing. The former environment minister Michael Meacher has announced his intention to stand, along with John McDonnell. To avoid splitting the left-wing vote, they have announced only the candidate with the most support will seek MPs' backing to make it onto the ballot.

Various other names had been circulated as an alternative to a 'Brown coronation'. The environment secretary David Miliband was promoted as a credible candidate but has announced his support from Mr Brown. Charles Clarke and John Reid were also mentioned as possible contenders, but both have said they do not intend to stand.

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