| Election Name: | 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Labour Party deputy leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2015 Labour Party deputy leadership election |
| Next Year: | 2015 |
| 1Blank: | First pref. |
| 2Blank: | Final pref. |
| Image1: | Harriet Harman (cropped).jpg |
| Image1 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate1: | Harriet Harman |
| 1Data1: | 18.9% |
| 2Data1: | 50.4% |
| Image2 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate2: | Alan Johnson |
| 1Data2: | 18.2% |
| 2Data2: | 49.6% |
| Image3: | JonCruddasMP.jpg |
| Image3 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate3: | Jon Cruddas |
| 1Data3: | 19.4% |
| 2Data3: | — |
| Image4: | Hilary Benn.jpg |
| Image4 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate4: | Hilary Benn |
| Colour4: | 0 |
| 1Data4: | 16.4% |
| 2Data4: | — |
| Image5: | Peter Hain.png |
| Image5 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate5: | Peter Hain |
| 1Data5: | 15.3% |
| 2Data5: | — |
| Image6: | Hazel Blears, June 2009 2 cropped.jpg |
| Image6 Size: | 150x150px |
| Candidate6: | Hazel Blears |
| 1Data6: | 11.8% |
| 2Data6: | — |
| Deputy Leader | |
| Before Election: | John Prescott |
| After Election: | Harriet Harman |
The 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 prime minister about the same time that Tony Blair tendered his resignation as prime minister.[1]
Harriet Harman was elected deputy leader on 24 June 2007 with 50.43% of the final redistributed vote. However Gordon Brown, who was elected leader on the same day, did not subsequently appoint her deputy prime minister, instead leaving the office vacant.
There had been reports that an increasing number of Labour MPs and members of the NEC had been attempting to get the election for the position of deputy leader abandoned in order to save the £2,000,000 it was estimated that the contest would cost.[2] [3] There would have had to have been a special conference convened if such an alteration was to be made.
All six declared candidates secured more than the 45 nominations from MPs that was the minimum requirement for them to get onto the ballot paper by close of nominations at 12:30 UTC+1 on 17 May 2007.[14] [15]
The election took place using Alternative Vote in an electoral college, with a third of the votes allocated to MPs and MEPs, a third to individual members of the Labour Party, and a third to individual members of affiliated organisations, mainly trade unions.
Harriet Harman won the contest, her victory heavily depending on support from individual party members with preference votes narrowing her opponent's lead and she only led in the final round.[16] The final total percentage votes for the two main candidates after redistribution were almost identical to those of the final round of the 1981 contest.
| Candidate | Affiliates (33.3%) | Members (33.3%) | MPs/MEPs (33.3%) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Round 1 | |||||||
| scope=“row” | Jon Cruddas | 27.3% | 17.0% | 13.9% | 19.4% | ||
| scope=“row” | Harriet Harman | 13.1% | 24.1% | 19.6% | 18.9% | ||
| scope=“row” | Alan Johnson | 13.7% | 16.6% | 24.3% | 18.2% | ||
| scope=“row” | Hilary Benn | 14.8% | 21.7% | 12.8% | 16.4% | ||
| scope=“row” | Peter Hain | 19.9% | 11.6% | 14.4% | 15.3% | ||
| scope=“row” | 11.3% | 9.0% | 15.0% | 11.8% |
| Candidate | Affiliates (33.3%) | Members (33.3%) | MPs/MEPs (33.3%) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Round 2 | |||||||
| scope=“row” | Alan Johnson | 17.7% | 19.1% | 34.4% | 23.7% | ||
| scope=“row” | Harriet Harman | 15.5% | 26.4% | 21.9% | 21.2% | ||
| scope=“row” | Jon Cruddas | 28.9% | 18.0% | 14.2% | 20.4% | ||
| scope=“row” | Hilary Benn | 16.7% | 23.8% | 14.2% | 18.2% | ||
| scope=“row” | 21.3% | 12.7% | 15.3% | 16.4% |
| Candidate | Affiliates (33.3%) | Members (33.3%) | MPs/MEPs (33.3%) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Round 3 | |||||||
| scope=“row” | Alan Johnson | 23.5% | 22.0% | 38.4% | 27.9% | ||
| scope=“row” | Harriet Harman | 21.4% | 30.5% | 25.9% | 25.9% | ||
| scope=“row” | Jon Cruddas | 33.1% | 19.8% | 18.9% | 23.9% | ||
| scope=“row” | 22.2% | 27.9% | 17.0% | 22.3% |
| Candidate | Affiliates (33.3%) | Members (33.3%) | MPs/MEPs (33.3%) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Round 4 | |||||||
| scope=“row” | Alan Johnson | 30.8% | 32.1% | 46.2% | 36.4% | ||
| scope=“row” | Harriet Harman | 28.4% | 41.5% | 30.9% | 33.6% | ||
| scope=“row” | 40.9% | 26.5% | 23.0% | 30.1% |
| Candidate | Affiliates (33.3%) | Members (33.3%) | MPs/MEPs (33.3%) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Round 5 | |||||||
| scope=“row” | Harriet Harman | 48.6% | 56.5% | 46.3% | 50.4% | ||
| scope=“row” | Alan Johnson | 51.5% | 43.5% | 53.8% | 49.6% |
Jeremy Corbyn announced in December 2006 he was considering running for the Deputy Leadership. However, there was no subsequent statement from him on it and he nominated Hilary Benn for the Deputy Leadership.[17] No other eligible person — i.e. Labour MP — announced they were considering standing for the position except for the six nominated candidates and Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn would go on to be elected Leader of the Labour Party in the 2015 leadership election, appointing Benn his Shadow Foreign Secretary.
There was some speculation about Ed Balls, Patricia Hewitt,[18] David Miliband[19] and Jack Straw standing for the position, but no sign that they had ever said they were inclined to run and all had ruled themselves out before nominations opened.
See main article: Timeline of the 2007 Labour Party leadership election (UK).
The amount of donations made to each candidate for their campaigns[20] were: