How long might Labour’s leadership contest be?

Tomorrow (Monday) the Labour PLP will meet for the first time after the election, as will the Shadow Cabinet. On Wednesday, Labour’s NEC will also have their post-election meeting. All will likely be discussing the most appropriate length for a Labour leadership contest.

Opinions are thought to vary between a matter of weeks and a more substantial contest spanning months. So what are the choices:

A contest that last just a few weeks: The shortest option being considered is a quickfire contest that could be over by some point in June. The argument in favour is that this would get Labour back on the front foot, but this doesn’t seem to have much support so far, as such speed wouldn’t really suggest a party having a serious debate about why it lost.

To the end of July: If the Labour Party wants to elect a leader this summer, rather than waiting for autumn and the conference season, the contest would run until the end of July, mirroring the London Mayoral campaign. The advantage of this is that it gives a leader time to get into conference with a team in place. The disadvantage? Well think about what the press would do to a newly elected Labour leader during a month of “silly season” coverage before a first conference…

Announcing the new leader at conference: This is the way the contest was conducted last time, with Miliband announced as leader on Saturday afternoon, assuming power and making his first leader’s speech that Tuesday. The disadvantage is that the contest can sag a little during the summer months as people go on holiday, but it allows for a lengthy debate. And unlike 2010, the risk of the Tories attacking Labour’s economic credibility is a moot point – that ship has sailed…

Waiting until October: The longest contest under consideration so far – and being supported by NEC member Jonathan Ashworth on the Sunday Politics today – is to have a contest that runs beyond the next party conference, allowing the contenders to all address the party conference in September. That’s not dissimilar to what the Tories did in 2005, which allowed David Cameron to emerge over a long contest. The argument against this? It means Labour loses a conference to an internal debate rather than taking on the Tories.

On Wednesday the NEC will decide a timetable – these are the most likely choices…