2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election

2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election

← 1994 6–24 June 2007 (2007-06-06 – 2007-06-24) 2015 →

Candidate Harriet Harman Alan Johnson Jon Cruddas First pref. 18.9% 18.2% 19.4% Final pref. 50.4% 49.6% —   Candidate Hilary Benn Peter Hain Hazel Blears First pref. 16.4% 15.3% 11.8% Final pref. — — —

Deputy Leader before election John Prescott Elected Deputy Leader Harriet Harman

The 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election was a British political party election for the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party. John Prescott, the previous deputy leader, announced on 10 May 2007 that he was standing down from that position and that he would be leaving as deputy prime minister about the same time that Tony Blair tendered his resignation as prime minister.^[1]

Harriet Harman was elected deputy leader on 24 June 2007 with 50.43% of the final redistributed vote. However Gordon Brown, who was elected leader on the same day, did not subsequently appoint her deputy prime minister, instead leaving the office vacant.

There had been reports that an increasing number of Labour MPs and members of the NEC had been attempting to get the election for the position of deputy leader abandoned in order to save the £2,000,000 it was estimated that the contest would cost.^[2][3] There would have had to have been a special conference convened if such an alteration was to be made.