2000 London Labour Party mayoral selection explained

Election Name:London Labour Party mayoral selection 2000
Country:United Kingdom
Type:presidential
Next Election:2002 London Labour Party mayoral selection
Next Year:2002
1Blank:First Round
2Blank:Second Round
Candidate1:Frank Dobson
Colour1:DC241F
1Data1:49.6%
2Data1:51.5%
Colour2:DC241F
1Data2:46.0%
2Data2:48.5%
Candidate3:Glenda Jackson
Colour3:DC241F
1Data3:4.4%
2Data3:Eliminated
Election Date:20 February 2000
Mayoral candidate
After Election:Frank Dobson
After Party:Labour Party (UK)

The London Labour Party mayoral selection of 2000 was the process by which the Labour Party selected its candidate for Mayor of London, to stand in the 2000 mayoral election. Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn and St. Pancras, was selected to stand, defeating former Leader of the Greater London Council Ken Livingstone and Glenda Jackson, MP for Hampstead and Highgate.

Livingstone went on to run as an independent candidate in the Mayoral election, defeating Dobson, who came third behind Conservative candidate Steven Norris.

Selection process

The Labour candidate was selected via an Electoral College of Labour Party MPs, MEPs, GLA candidates, members and affiliated unions. Individual London Labour members were invited to vote via a postal ballot. Affiliated unions were not obliged to ballot members; instead some cast block votes (plumped for one candidate).

Candidates

Result

Livingstone won amongst party members (60% to Dobson's 40%) and among affiliated unions (72% to Dobson's 28%, a more than 2:1 vote). Dobson's landslide victory (173:27 in ratio) amongst the systemic third of votes attributed to MPs, MEPS and GLA candidates saw him win narrowly overall: forming a simple electoral college outcome of 52% to 48%.[1]

First round
CandidateElected
members
(33.3%)
Individual
members
(33.3%)
Affiliated
supporters
(33.3%)
Total
Frank Dobson86.5%35.3%26.9%align=center 49.6%
Ken Livingstone12.2%54.9%71.0%align=center 46.0%
Glenda Jackson1.4%9.8%2.1%align=center 4.4%
Second round
CandidateElected
members
(33.3%)
Individual
members
(33.3%)
Affiliated
supporters
(33.3%)
Total
Frank Dobson 86.5%40.1%28.0%align=center 51.5%
Ken Livingstone13.5%59.9%72.0%align=center 48.5%

Aftermath

Livingstone described the result as "tainted" because the election system gave greater weight to the votes of London Labour MPs, MEPs, and GLA candidates, rather than rank-and-file party members,[2] and decided to contest the election as an Independent. On handing in nomination papers, he was automatically expelled from the Labour Party.[3] Livingstone won the election as an Independent, with Dobson coming third (winning 13% of the popular vote).[4]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LONDON MAYORALTY CANDIDATE SELECTION 2000-2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160804195802/http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~tquinn/london_mayoralty.htm . 2016-08-04 . 2021-05-07 . University of Essex.
  2. News: Now Ken must decide. 2000-02-20. The Guardian. en-GB. 0261-3077. 2016-03-02.
  3. News: Labour expels Livingstone. 2000-04-04. BBC. 2016-03-07.
  4. Web site: 2000 election results for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. London Elects. 5 May 2000. 17 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160503085013/https://londonelects.org.uk/download/file/fid/176. 3 May 2016. dead.