What are Labour’s rules for a leadership contest after Starmer’s resignation?

Following Keir Starmer’s resignation as leader of the Labour Party, a leadership election will now take place.

LabourList took a leaf through the party rulebook to find out what the rules are for the contest, including the role of an acting party leader, thresholds for nominations and who will be able to vote.

How do nominations work?

Nominations to be a candidate in the election must be supported by 20 percent of members of the Parliamentary Labour Party – equal to 81 MPs – as well as five percent of Constituency Labour Parties or at least three affiliates, of which at least two must be trade unions, making up five percent of affiliate membership.

The threshold for PLP nominations effectively limits the maximum potential number of candidates in a leadership election to five.

Ridley, as general secretary, will serve as the returning officer for the contest – and will appoint a legal advisor to act as deputy returning officer and an independent scrutineer to oversee and verify the ballot.

Nominees must inform the party’s general secretary, Hollie Ridley, in writing of their acceptance of nomination – with valid nominations published by the party, along with names of nominating organisations and PLP nominations.

Who can vote and what’s the voting system?

All members of the party who have had continuous membership of at least six months’ prior to a timetable for the ballot being announced are eligible to vote for leader.

Votes are cast in a single section by party members and affiliated supporters, with no person entitled to receive more than one vote.

Voting for the election uses a preferential ballot, with members ranking candidates in order of preference.

The successful candidate requires more than half of the votes cast to be elected as party leader. Should no candidate receive that total on a count of first preference votes, a redistribution of votes shall take place according to preferences indicated on the ballot paper until one candidate secures at least half of the votes cast.

A timetable for the contest will be decided by the party’s NEC in an emergency meeting. In the party’s rulebook, it states that results of the election “shall be declared at a session of party conference”.

Starmer announced in his speech that the leadership contest will kick off from July 9, with MPs able to begin the process of seeking nominations.

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