The British Labour Party's second-in-command role has evolved from an appointment to a contest.

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The position of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party was created in 1922 as a consolation prize for a former leader. Over the following century, the role transformed from a simple appointment into a high-stakes elected office, occasionally serving as a springboard to the party's top leadership or government power.

The office of Deputy Leader was established on 21 November 1922, when Ramsay MacDonald, having defeated J. R. Clynes for the party leadership, offered the newly created deputy role to his rival. This position was officially codified by the National Executive Committee shortly thereafter. For the first three decades, the role was filled by appointment among Labour MPs. A unique anomaly occurred in August 1931, when William Graham was appointed to serve alongside Clynes, creating the only instance of two concurrent deputy leaders in the party's history. Both men lost their seats in the 1931 general election, though they initially remained in their roles until Graham's death in January 1932 and Clynes’s resignation in October 1932.

The nature of the role shifted significantly on 11 November 1952, when the first contested election took place between Herbert Morrison and Aneurin Bevan. Morrison’s victory set a precedent for future challenges, which became more frequent for the deputy position than for the party leadership itself. By 1980, the party adopted an electoral college system, which was famously tested in 1981 when Denis Healey narrowly defeated Tony Benn by 0.8%. This system remained in place until 2015, when the party transitioned to a 'one member, one vote' model. Today, candidates must secure nominations from at least 20% of Labour MPs to qualify for the ballot.

While the deputy leadership is a party role without a formal constitutional status, it has become increasingly linked to government office. In 1997, John Prescott became the first Deputy Leader to also serve as Deputy Prime Minister, a dual role held by Angela Rayner starting in 2024. However, this is not a guaranteed pairing; in 2007, Gordon Brown appointed Harriet Harman as Party Chair and Leader of the House of Commons rather than Deputy Prime Minister. Despite the prestige of the position, only two deputy leaders, Clement Attlee and Michael Foot, have ever been elected as the party's permanent leader.

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