How each Labour deputy candidate has voted on key issues

Deputy leadership candidates Angela Rayner, Ian Murray, Rosena Allin-Khan, Dawn Butler and Richard Burgon have achieved the required nominations from MPs and MEPs to continue to the second stage of the contest.

Ahead of local party and affiliate nominations opening on Wednesday, LabourList has examined the voting records of the five contenders.

We’ve also included a list of how each candidate chose to cast their nomination papers in the recent Labour leadership elections of 2015 and 2016.

Rayner and Burgon were first elected to parliament in 2015 and Murray took his seat in 2010. Allin-Khan has represented her constituency since a by-election in 2016. Butler first served in parliament from 2005 to 2010, and was then re-elected again in 2015.

Welfare benefit cap

During the 2015 leadership contest, interim leader Harriet Harman decided that Labour should abstain rather than vote against the government at second reading.

48 MPs defied the whip to vote against the government – it passed by 308 to 124 votes – which lowered the household welfare benefit cap.

Harman’s so-called “reasoned amendment” opposed child poverty targets and changes to employment and support allowance, but made no mention of changes to child tax credits and offered support to cut the household welfare cap to £20,000 per year. It was defeated by 308 votes to 208.

Allin-Khan – not an MP
Burgon, against
Butler, against
Murray, abstained
Rayner, abstained (abroad and paired with a Conservative MP – publicly spoke out against the bill)

This second reading of the bill was crucial in shaping the 2015 leadership election. All of the candidates – except Allin-Khan, who was not an MP at the time – voted against at the final legislative stage in the Commons.

Syria

December 2015 saw MPs vote for the UK to conduct airstrikes in Syria by 397 to 223 votes. Corbyn said the action would “almost certainly” result in the death of innocent people but gave MPs a free vote.

Allin-Khan – not an MP
Burgon, against
Butler, against
Murray, against
Rayner, against

HS2

On March 23rd 2016, the House of Commons voted to pass phase 1 of HS2 – the bit from London to the West Midlands. Labour whipped in support of the legislation.

Allin-Khan – not an MP
Burgon, for
Butler, for
Murray, for
Rayner, for

MPs voted for phase 2 of HS2 – the bit from the West Midlands to Crewe – in July 2019 and the Bill passed by 263 to 17 votes.

Allin-Khan, abstained
Burgon, abstained
Butler, for
Murray, abstained
Rayner, for

Chilcot enquiry

In November 2016, the SNP tabled a motion calling for parliamentary committees to investigate and hold to account former Prime Minister Tony Blair for misleading the House over the Iraq war.

Allin-Khan, against
Burgon, abstained
Butler, against
Murray, against
Rayner, against

Trident

In July 2016, the House of Commons voted on a motion to renew Trident, the UK’s nuclear deterrent. Corbyn gave Labour MPs a free vote.

Allin–Khan, for
Burgon, against
Butler, against
Murray, against
Rayner, against

Third runway at Heathrow

On June 25th 2018, MPs voted to approve the national policy statement which called for a third runway to Heathrow airport. Labour opposed the expansion, but the leadership gave MPs a free vote on the issue.

Allin-Khan, against
Burgon, against
Butler, against
Murray, abstained
Rayner, for

Brexit

On February 8th 2017, MPs voted on triggering Article 50 in the third reading of the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which began the process of the UK leaving the EU.

Allin-Khan, against
Burgon, for
Butler, against
Murray, against
Rayner, for

None of the deputy candidates backed Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement in 2019.

Who did they each nominate in the 2015 leadership election?

Allin-Khan – not an MP
Burgon – Jeremy Corbyn
Butler – Jeremy Corbyn
Murray – did not nominate
Rayner – Andy Burnham

Which candidates nominated Owen Smith in the 2017 leadership contest?

Allin-Khan
Murray

Burgon, Butler and Rayner endorsed Jeremy Corbyn.