Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1976

Labour Party (UK) leadership election

25 March 1976 (1976-03-25)-5 April 1976 (1976-04-05)



Candidate	James Callaghan	Michael Foot
First Round Votes	84	90
First Round Percentage	26.8%	28.7%
Second Round Votes	141	133
Second Round Percentage	45.2%	42.6%
Third Round Votes	176	137
Third Round Percentage	56.2%	43.8%


Candidate	Roy Jenkins	Tony Benn
First Round Votes	56	37
First Round Percentage	17.8%	11.8%
Second Round Votes		-
Second Round Percentage	-	-
Third Round Percentage	-	-


Candidate	Denis Healey	Anthony Crosland
First Round Votes	30	17
First Round Percentage	9.6%	5.3%
Second Round Votes	38
Second Round Percentage	12.2%	-
Third Round Percentage	-	-

Leader before election

Harold Wilson

Elected Leader

James Callaghan

The Labour Party leadership election of 1976 occurred when former leader Harold Wilson resigned as Party Leader and Prime Minister.

Candidates

In the first ballot, held on 25 March, six candidates vied for the leadership:

Tony Benn, Secretary of State for Energy, Member of Parliament for Bristol South East
Jim Callaghan, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Member of Parliament for Cardiff South East
Anthony Crosland, Secretary of State for the Environment, Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby
Michael Foot, Secretary of State for Employment, Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale
Denis Healey, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Member of Parliament for Leeds East
Roy Jenkins, Home Secretary, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Stechford

Result

First Ballot: 25 March 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Michael Foot	90	28.7%
	Jim Callaghan	84	26.8%
	Roy Jenkins	56	17.8%
	Tony Benn	37	11.8%
	Denis Healey	30	9.6%
	Anthony Crosland	17	5.3%
Majority		6	1.9%
Turnout		314
	Second Ballot required

As a result of the first ballot, Crosland was eliminated, while Jenkins and Benn withdrew from the contest. The remaining three candidates would face each other in a second ballot, five days later.

Second Ballot: 30 March 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Jim Callaghan	141	45.2%
	Michael Foot	133	42.6%
	Denis Healey	38	12.2%
Majority		8	2.6%
Turnout		312
	Third Ballot required

Because no candidate achieved an absolute majority, the candidate with the lowest number of votes was eliminated (in this case Healey). A final run-off ballot was held six days later.

Third Ballot: 5 April 1976
Candidate		Votes	%
	Jim Callaghan	176	56.2%
	Michael Foot	137	43.8%
Majority		39	12.4%
Turnout		313
	Callaghan elected leader

Immediately upon his election as Labour leader, Callaghan succeeded Wilson as Prime Minister.

References

Tony Benn, The Benn Diaries (Arrow, 1995).

Labour Party

Leadership

Leaders	Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Gaitskell Wilson Callaghan Foot Kinnock Smith Blair Brown Miliband Corbyn

Deputy Leaders	Clynes Graham Attlee Greenwood Morrison Griffiths Bevan Brown Jenkins Short Foot Healey Hattersley Beckett Prescott Harman Watson

General Secretaries	MacDonald Henderson Middleton Phillips Williams Nicholas Hayward Mortimer Whitty Sawyer McDonagh Triesman Carter Watt Collins McNicol

Treasurers	Henderson MacDonald Henderson Lathan Greenwood Gaitskell Bevan Nicholas Davies Callaghan Atkinson Varley Booth McCluskie Burlison Prosser Elsby Dromey Holland

Leaders in the Lords	Haldane Cripps Ponsonby Snell Addison Jowitt Alexander Pakenham Shackleton Shepherd Peart Hughes Richard Jay Williams Amos Ashton Royall Smith

PLP Chairs	Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Hodge* Wardle* Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Lees-Smith* Pethick-Lawrence* Greenwood* Gaitskell Wilson Houghton Mikardo Hughes Willey Dormand Orme Hoyle Soley Corston Clwyd Lloyd Watts Cryer

* = wartime, in opposition

Internal elections

Leadership elections	1922 (MacDonald) 1935 (Attlee) 1955 (Gaitskell) 1960 1961 1963 (Wilson) 1976 (Callaghan) 1980 (Foot) 1983 (Kinnock) 1988 1992 (Smith) 1994 (Blair) 2007 (Brown) 2010 (Miliband) 2015 (Corbyn) 2016

Deputy Leadership elections	1952 (Morrison) 1953 1956 (Griffiths) 1959 (Bevan) 1960 (Brown) 1961 1962 1970 (Jenkins) 1971 1972 (Short) 1976 (Foot) 1980 (Healey) 1981 1983 (Hattersley) 1988 1992 (Beckett) 1994 (Prescott) 2007 (Harman) 2015 (Watson)

Shadow Cabinet elections	1979 (Callaghan) 1980 (Foot) 1981 (Foot) 1982 (Foot) 1983 (Kinnock) 1984 (Kinnock) 1985 (Kinnock) 1986 (Kinnock) 1987 (Kinnock) ... 1990 (Kinnock) 1991 (Kinnock) 1992 (Smith) 1993 (Smith) 1994 (Blair) 1995 (Blair) 1996 (Blair) 2010 (Miliband)

Organisation

Structure	Constitution Clause IV Rule Book National Executive Committee Labour Party Conference National Policy Forum General Secretary Treasurer Constituency Labour Party Branch Labour Party Socialist societies Association of Labour Councillors Parliamentary Labour Party Labour Chief Whip European Parliamentary Labour Party London Labour Party Scottish Labour Party Welsh Labour Labour Party in Northern Ireland Affiliated trade unions Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation Electoral pact with independent Co-operative Party as Labour Co-operative Candidates Young Labour Labour International

Related organisations	Christians on the Left Compass Fabian Society Young Fabians Grassroots Alliance Jewish Labour Movement Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform Labour CND Labour Friends of Israel Labour Party Irish Society Labour Representation Committee (2004) Labour Students LGBT Labour LabourList Momentum National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs Progress Socialist Appeal Socialist Health Association Socialist Educational Association Socialist Environment and Resources Association Socialist Campaign Group Socialist Youth Network Tribune

History and related topics	History of the Labour Party (UK) General election manifestos History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom Lib–Lab pact One more heave New Labour Tony's Cronies Blue Labour One Nation Labour

Alliances	Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Progressive Alliance Socialist International

Northern Ireland	Social Democratic and Labour Party Labour – Federation of Labour Groups

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