The elections for our new party leader and deputy leader are being run for the first time under the new rules agreed at Annual Labour Party Conference in 2018. The procedure has three stages and is complicated. LI members can vote in stages two and three, but note that eligibility to vote is different at each stage.
Stage 1 – MP and MEP Nominations
From 7 to 13 January
Labour MPs put themselves forward as candidates and are nominated by other Labour MPs and MEPs, who are each allowed to make one nomination for each position. Candidates can also nominate themselves.
The qualification threshold is 10% of all MPs and MEPs, which means each candidate needs at least 22 nominations.
This stage has been completed and resulted in the following candidates qualifying for the next stage.
Leader:
Emily Thornberry, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Keir Starmer, Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy.
Deputy Leader:
Dawn Butler, Rosena Allin-Khan, Richard Burgon, Angela Rayner, Ian Murray.
See all MP/MEP nominations and candidate statements
Stage 2 – CLP and Affiliate Nominations
From 15 January to 14 February
This is the most complicated stage and is underway now. Jess Phillips has withdrawn leaving 4 leadership candidates and 5 for deputy leader..
A candidate can qualify for the next stage in two ways, by CLP nominations or by affiliate nominations.
CLP Nominations
The CLP nomination threshold is 5% of all Constituency Labour Parties, which means at least 33 CLPs.
A CLP can decide to nominate candidates by balloting its members. This is usually done by vote at an All Member Meeting, with checking of membership cards before admission. These must take place between 15 January and 14 February.
This is impractical For Labour International so we’ll be using electronic OMOV ballots instead. Preferential voting is used in which candidates are numbered in order of preference, but you don’t have to give them all a number if you don’t want to. Balloting and counting the results will be carried out using Opavote, an online elections company.
Ballots and information will be emailed to all eligible LI members on 9 February with a voting deadline of 13 February. Our nominations must then be sent to the Labour Party General Secretary by 14 February.
To be eligible for this vote you must have joined the Party by 14 December 2019, have a registered address outside the UK, and not be in arrears with your membership fees. Members in arrears will need to be fully paid up by 14 February If you are old enough to join the party (14) you are old enough to vote.
Registered supporters and affiliated supporters can’t vote in this ballot unless they are also party members.
If you have any queries about eligibility to vote in the LI nominations ballot contact membership@labourinternational.net
Affiliate Nominations
To qualify this way, a candidate must receive nominations from at least 3 affiliated organisations that make up at least 5% of affiliated membership, and at least two of them must be trade unions (e.g. a big union, a smaller union and a socialist society.)
Affiliated organisations decide their own procedures for nominating candidates and will inform their members accordingly.
Find out more about affiliated trade unions and socialist societies
All current nominations on the Labour Party website
But these rolling lists of nominations at Labour List are kept updated better
Stage 3 – Final Ballot
From 21 February to 2 April (noon UK time)
This is the vote that counts the most as it decides which of the qualifying candidates win and become our new leader and deputy leader.
Who can vote?
There are 3 categories of eligible voters.
- Fully paid up members of the Labour party who joined on or before the freeze date of Monday 20 January at 5pm.
- Fully paid up affiliate members who joined an affiliated trade union or socialist society on or before the freeze date of Monday 20 January at 5pm, and registered as an an Affiliated Supporter by 5pm on Monday 3 February.
- Registered supporters who signed up and paid £25 during the 48 hour window between 5pm on 14 January and 5pm on 16 January.
How to Vote
The Labour Party will send out Electronic ballots and information by email to all eligible voters starting on 21 February (N.B. the start date has been changed to 24 February). It will take a few days for them all to go out, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t arrive immediately. This is a one person one vote (OPOV) ballot using preferential voting, with a separate vote for each position. You have a free vote and don’t need to give first preference to the candidates nominated by your CLP or affiliated organisation.
Postal ballots will be sent to voters who don’t have an email address in the system, or whose email bounces. If you have not received a ballot by Monday 2 March, or have any other queries about your vote, please call 0044 345 092 22 99, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email leadership2020@labour.org.uk.
If you think the party might not have your correct details, especially an up-to-date working email address, contact theteam@labour.org.uk.
The voting deadline is at noon on 2 April.
You can download fuller details of the election procedures
For more information about the elections, including downloadable documents, go to the Labour Party Leadership Election Hub.
You can also get leadership election news updates at Labour List
The Results
The winners will be announced at a Special Conference on Saturday 4 April. This Leadership Conference is open to all delegates and ex-officio members who were registered for Annual Conference in 2019. Attendance is free of charge.