Angela Rayner: What would happen if Labour’s deputy leader resigned?

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said she spoke to her family about resigning from office after admitting she did not pay enough stamp duty on a second home.

Rayner has referred herself to the government’s adviser on ministerial standards, and said she had not intended to “dodge tax” for the property in Hove. She also released a highly personal statement setting out the detailed circumstances of what happened.

So while she is staying put, what would have happened if she had quit – or if one of members’ favourite cabinet members ended up standing down after the probe completes?

LabourList has gone through the party rulebook to find out…

READ MORE: Labour Party Conference 2025: Full LabourList events programme revealed

If the deputy leader resigns while the party is in government (as it currently is), the cabinet may, in consultation with the party’s National Executive Committee, appoint one of its members to serve as deputy leader until the next party conference. Alternatively, the cabinet, again in consultation with the party’s ruling body, opt to leave the post vacant until the next party conference.

For the election of deputy leader, prospective candidates would require support from 20% of Labour MPs (80 as of today), and either five percent of Constituency Labour Parties or at least three affiliated organisations (with at least two trade union affiliates) that make up at least five percent of affiliated membership of the party. 

Candidates who do not meet this threshold are unable to proceed further in the contest.

Votes are cast in a single section made up of party members and affiliated supporters and are counted on the basis of one member, one vote. The election takes place with a preferential ballot.

Should no candidate receive more than half of first preference votes, a redistribution of votes takes place until a candidate is elected. In 2020, Rayner was elected in the third round, with the votes of Dawn Butler and Ian Murray redistributed.

The last time a deputy leadership election was held on its own without a full leadership contest too was in 2007, when Harriet Harman became deputy leader. Gordon Brown became party leader unopposed the same year.

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