1931 Australian Labor Party leadership spill explained

Election Name:1931 Australian Labor Party
leadership election
Country:Australia
Type:presidential
Vote Type:Caucus
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1928 Australian Labor Party leadership election
Previous Year:1928
Next Election:1935 Australian Labor Party leadership election
Next Year:1935
Election Date:2 March 1931
1Blank:First Ballot
Candidate1:James Scullin
Colour1:DC241F
1Data1:40 (88.9%)
Candidate2:Jack Beasley
Colour2:DC241F
1Data2:5 (11.1%)
Leader
Before Election:James Scullin
After Election:James Scullin

The Australian Labor Party held a leadership election on 2 March 1931, in the context of the developing party split. Prime Minister James Scullin was easily re-elected, defeating Jack Beasley of the Lang Labor faction.

Scullin called a meeting of the Labor caucus following the events of 4 February, which saw Joseph Lyons and James Fenton resign from cabinet in protest at the government's economic policy.[1] The nominal purpose of the meeting was to elect replacements for Lyons and Fenton, but Scullin called a leadership ballot in order to shore up his own position. Although the caucus nominally had 52 members, Lyons and five of his supporters did not attend the meeting, and Fenton was present but did not vote. Scullin was re-elected comprehensively, winning 40 out of a possible 45 votes. Jack Beasley, acting as a proxy for Jack Lang and his supporters, received the remaining votes. Ted Theodore was re-elected unopposed as deputy leader, and then a vote was held to elect a new ministry, which saw three ministers (including Beasley) lose their places and five others promoted to the ministry for the first time (including future prime minister Ben Chifley).[2] [3]

Results

The following table gives the ballot results:

NameVotesPercentage
James Scullin4088.9
Jack Beasley511.1

See also

Notes and References

  1. McMullin, Ross (1991). The Light on the Hill: The Australian Labor Party 1891–1991, Oxford University Press, pp. 169–171.
  2. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145995637 SCULLIN'S NEW TEAM
  3. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16758530 FIVE NEW MINISTERS.