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The 2019 Conservative Party Leadership Election
Boris Johnson became Leader of the Conservative Party on Monday 22 July 2019 following the result of the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election. On Tuesday 23 July 2019, Theresa May chaired her final Cabinet meeting as Prime Minister. On Wednesday 24 July 2019, Theresa May attended her final Prime Minister's Questions as Prime Minister in the House of Commons. That afternoon, she travelled to Buckingham Palace to tender her resignation with The Queen. Shortly afterwards, Boris Johnson was invited to form a new government. Over the course of that afternoon, evening and the following day the new Prime Minister formed his Cabinet and reshuffled the junior ministerial ranks.
Boris Johnson became Leader of the Conservative Party on Monday 22 July 2019 following the result of the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election. On Tuesday 23 July 2019, Theresa May chaired her final Cabinet meeting as Prime Minister. On Wednesday 24 July 2019, Theresa May attended her final Prime Minister's Questions as Prime Minister in the House of Commons. That afternoon, she travelled to Buckingham Palace to tender her resignation with The Queen. Shortly afterwards, Boris Johnson was invited to form a new government. Over the course of that afternoon, evening and the following day the new Prime Minister formed his Cabinet and reshuffled the junior ministerial ranks.
The Boris Cabinet
The new Prime Minister started to form his Cabinet within an hour of entering Downing Street. The Great Offices of State were, as is tradition, appointed first.
Sajid Javid was appointed as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. To fill his shoes at the Home Office was Security Minister Ben Wallace. Jeremy Hunt was given a promotion to become Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State. Andrea Leadsom was the somewhat surprising choice to fill his shoes at the Foreign Office.
Penny Mordaunt retained her position as Defence Secretary, having only held it for a couple of months. Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab returned to Cabinet as the new Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor.
The new Brexit Secretary was Kit Malthouse, who had worked with Boris Johnson in London and famously brokered the Malthouse Compromise. Liz Truss, initially tipped to become Chancellor, was made the Business Secretary. Greg Hands was appointed International Trade Secretary.
Leadership contender Matt Hancock remained as Health Secretary. Michael Gove was moved to become the new Housing Secretary, with Therese Coffey succeeding him as Environment Secretary. Damian Hinds was another of the ministers to keep their job, in his case as Education Secretary.
Alok Sharma was appointed as Work and Pensions Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd. Tracey Crouch was appointed Culture Secretary. Theresa Villiers made a return to the Northern Ireland Office, whilst David Mundell and Alun Cairns stayed on as Scottish and Welsh Secretaries, respectively.
Gavin Williamson was appointed as the Leader of the House of Commons, while Baroness Evans retained her position as Leader of the House of Lords.
A small handful of others were given the right to attend Cabinet. They were the Minister without Portfolio and new Chairman of the Party, James Cleverly. The new Chief Whip, Steve Barclay. The new Chief Secretary, Julian Smith. The Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox. DExEU minister Steve Baker, charged with no-deal planning. And MHCLG minister Jake Berry, charged with overseeing the Northern Powerhouse.
The new Prime Minister started to form his Cabinet within an hour of entering Downing Street. The Great Offices of State were, as is tradition, appointed first.
Sajid Javid was appointed as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. To fill his shoes at the Home Office was Security Minister Ben Wallace. Jeremy Hunt was given a promotion to become Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State. Andrea Leadsom was the somewhat surprising choice to fill his shoes at the Foreign Office.
The new Brexit Secretary was Kit Malthouse, who had worked with Boris Johnson in London and famously brokered the Malthouse Compromise. Liz Truss, initially tipped to become Chancellor, was made the Business Secretary. Greg Hands was appointed International Trade Secretary.
Leadership contender Matt Hancock remained as Health Secretary. Michael Gove was moved to become the new Housing Secretary, with Therese Coffey succeeding him as Environment Secretary. Damian Hinds was another of the ministers to keep their job, in his case as Education Secretary.
Alok Sharma was appointed as Work and Pensions Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd. Tracey Crouch was appointed Culture Secretary. Theresa Villiers made a return to the Northern Ireland Office, whilst David Mundell and Alun Cairns stayed on as Scottish and Welsh Secretaries, respectively.
Gavin Williamson was appointed as the Leader of the House of Commons, while Baroness Evans retained her position as Leader of the House of Lords.
A small handful of others were given the right to attend Cabinet. They were the Minister without Portfolio and new Chairman of the Party, James Cleverly. The new Chief Whip, Steve Barclay. The new Chief Secretary, Julian Smith. The Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox. DExEU minister Steve Baker, charged with no-deal planning. And MHCLG minister Jake Berry, charged with overseeing the Northern Powerhouse.
The 2019 United Kingdom General Election
The Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, tabled a motion of no confidence in Her Majesty's Government. The debate and vote took place on the first day of Parliament's return from the summer recess - Tuesday 3 September. The result was 318-317 against the government, following the rebellion of three (previously) Conservative MPs: Dominic Grieve, Sam Gyimah and Guto Bebb.
The two-week period under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 during which a motion of confidence in a new government must be successful to avoid an election elapsed without success for either of the main parties on Tuesday 17 September. On that day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would go to Buckingham Palace the following day to formally request the dissolution of Parliament for a General Election. On Wednesday 18 September, a Crown proclamation was issued calling the General Election for Thursday 24 October. Parliament was dissolved the following day.
Opinion polls at the start of the campaign followed a pattern seen since early July: the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and The Brexit Party locked in a four-way battle. The campaign was, as expected, dominated by Brexit. Labour suffered when Jeremy Corbyn refused to answer whether Labour would back 'Remain' or it's own negotiated deal in the referendum it said it would hold if it won the election. This helped ensure predictions of a rapid Liberal Democrat fall away didn't materialise. Momentum was sucked out of Nigel Farage and The Brexit Party over the course of the campaign, though, with Boris Johnson telling the country that the election was the "last opportunity to save Brexit" and that under him Britain would be out of the EU on 31st October - just 7 days after the election. In Scotland, the fracturing of the unionist vote helped open the door to the SNP in seats it had lost two years previously.
On election night, the Exit Poll predicted a Conservative majority of 4, with the Tories on 327, Labour on 210, the SNP on 46, the Liberal Democrats on 44, Plaid Cymru on 3, the Greens on 1, The Brexit Party on 1 and the others on 18. The actual results returned a healthy Conservative majority for Boris Johnson, but on just 31% of the national vote - a record low for a majority-winning government. Turnout fell by over 4%, blamed on Brexit discontent among the electorate. Labour suffered it's worst performance in terms of seats since 1935 and it's worst performance in terms of vote share since 1918. The Liberal Democrats just managed to leap frog the SNP to reclaim the 3rd party position it had lost four years ago. The SNP made a small number of gains. The Brexit Party failed to win any seats. In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Unionists, SDLP and Alliance all gained seats at the expense of the DUP and Sinn Fein. The Alliance won the third highest number of votes on 16.3%, compared to 23.1% for Sinn Fein and 32.4% for the DUP.
Conservative Majority of 28
The Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, tabled a motion of no confidence in Her Majesty's Government. The debate and vote took place on the first day of Parliament's return from the summer recess - Tuesday 3 September. The result was 318-317 against the government, following the rebellion of three (previously) Conservative MPs: Dominic Grieve, Sam Gyimah and Guto Bebb.
The two-week period under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 during which a motion of confidence in a new government must be successful to avoid an election elapsed without success for either of the main parties on Tuesday 17 September. On that day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would go to Buckingham Palace the following day to formally request the dissolution of Parliament for a General Election. On Wednesday 18 September, a Crown proclamation was issued calling the General Election for Thursday 24 October. Parliament was dissolved the following day.
Opinion polls at the start of the campaign followed a pattern seen since early July: the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and The Brexit Party locked in a four-way battle. The campaign was, as expected, dominated by Brexit. Labour suffered when Jeremy Corbyn refused to answer whether Labour would back 'Remain' or it's own negotiated deal in the referendum it said it would hold if it won the election. This helped ensure predictions of a rapid Liberal Democrat fall away didn't materialise. Momentum was sucked out of Nigel Farage and The Brexit Party over the course of the campaign, though, with Boris Johnson telling the country that the election was the "last opportunity to save Brexit" and that under him Britain would be out of the EU on 31st October - just 7 days after the election. In Scotland, the fracturing of the unionist vote helped open the door to the SNP in seats it had lost two years previously.
On election night, the Exit Poll predicted a Conservative majority of 4, with the Tories on 327, Labour on 210, the SNP on 46, the Liberal Democrats on 44, Plaid Cymru on 3, the Greens on 1, The Brexit Party on 1 and the others on 18. The actual results returned a healthy Conservative majority for Boris Johnson, but on just 31% of the national vote - a record low for a majority-winning government. Turnout fell by over 4%, blamed on Brexit discontent among the electorate. Labour suffered it's worst performance in terms of seats since 1935 and it's worst performance in terms of vote share since 1918. The Liberal Democrats just managed to leap frog the SNP to reclaim the 3rd party position it had lost four years ago. The SNP made a small number of gains. The Brexit Party failed to win any seats. In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Unionists, SDLP and Alliance all gained seats at the expense of the DUP and Sinn Fein. The Alliance won the third highest number of votes on 16.3%, compared to 23.1% for Sinn Fein and 32.4% for the DUP.
Conservative Majority of 28
Basically somewhere for me post wikiboxes with a bit of text without the commitment of a full-blown timeline.
The United Kingdom General Election 1979
On 13 December 1978 James Callaghan's Labour government was dealt an embarrassing double defeat in the House of Commons that left the government's sanctions against private sector firms in tatters. By 285 to 279 the House passed a Conservative amendment that refused to support the government's "arbitrary use of economic sanctions" against firms that have "negotiated increases beyond a rigid limit which Parliament has not agreed". By 285 to 283 a second motion was carried that opposed sanctions on companies breaking the 5% pay rise limit.
In response, the Prime Minister tabled a motion reading: "That this House expresses its confidence in Her Majesty's Government and in its determination to strengthen the national economy, control inflation, reduce unemployment and secure social justice." By calling a confidence vote in his own government, Callaghan was throwing down the gauntlet to Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives to show they mean business.
The confidence vote was given priority among the business for the following day - 14 December 1978. The consensus among those in Westminster was that the government would carry the day. Such was the confidence of Callaghan in his numbers that several Labour MPs, who weren't already in Westminster, were not forced to return. The result of the vote, therefore, came as an almighty shock to everyone. By a majority of just one vote the Government was defeated.
Callaghan immediately confirmed that there would be a General Election in the New Year and that he would visit The Queen in the morning to confirm the date. Parliament, it was decided, would prorogue at start of what otherwise would have been the Christmas recess. Parliament would then be dissolved on 3 January for an election on 1 February.
The campaign was overshadowed in many respects by a series of strikes, though the two main party leaders succeeded in putting their manifesto forward to the population. Labour promised to curb inflation and prices, develop and implement a framework to improve industrial relations, move towards full employment and enlarge people's freedoms. The Conservatives pledged to bring inflation under control, reduce excessive public spending, restore law and order and create an economic climate in which industry can prosper.
The strikes undoubtedly impacted Labour in a negative way, despite Callaghan's personal ratings remaining steady throughout the campaign, and when the final election results came through on 2 February the result was no surprise.
The United Kingdom General Election 1979
On 13 December 1978 James Callaghan's Labour government was dealt an embarrassing double defeat in the House of Commons that left the government's sanctions against private sector firms in tatters. By 285 to 279 the House passed a Conservative amendment that refused to support the government's "arbitrary use of economic sanctions" against firms that have "negotiated increases beyond a rigid limit which Parliament has not agreed". By 285 to 283 a second motion was carried that opposed sanctions on companies breaking the 5% pay rise limit.
In response, the Prime Minister tabled a motion reading: "That this House expresses its confidence in Her Majesty's Government and in its determination to strengthen the national economy, control inflation, reduce unemployment and secure social justice." By calling a confidence vote in his own government, Callaghan was throwing down the gauntlet to Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives to show they mean business.
The confidence vote was given priority among the business for the following day - 14 December 1978. The consensus among those in Westminster was that the government would carry the day. Such was the confidence of Callaghan in his numbers that several Labour MPs, who weren't already in Westminster, were not forced to return. The result of the vote, therefore, came as an almighty shock to everyone. By a majority of just one vote the Government was defeated.
The campaign was overshadowed in many respects by a series of strikes, though the two main party leaders succeeded in putting their manifesto forward to the population. Labour promised to curb inflation and prices, develop and implement a framework to improve industrial relations, move towards full employment and enlarge people's freedoms. The Conservatives pledged to bring inflation under control, reduce excessive public spending, restore law and order and create an economic climate in which industry can prosper.
The strikes undoubtedly impacted Labour in a negative way, despite Callaghan's personal ratings remaining steady throughout the campaign, and when the final election results came through on 2 February the result was no surprise.
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2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
A referendum took place on Thursday 18 September 2014 on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "Yes" side won with 1,855,220 (50.1%) voting for independence and 1,845,237 (49.9%) voting against. The turnout of 86.5% was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the United Kingdom since the January 1910 general election, which was held before the introduction of universal suffrage.
The Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 set out the arrangements for the referendum and was passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2013, following an agreement between the devolved Scottish government and the Government of the United Kingdom. The independence proposal required a simple majority to pass. All European Union (EU) or Commonwealth citizens residing in Scotland age 16 or over could vote, with some exceptions, which produced a total electorate of almost 4,300,000 people. This was the first time that the electoral franchise was extended to include 16 and 17 year-olds in Scotland.
Yes Scotland was the main campaign group for independence, while Better Together was the main campaign group in favour of maintaining the union. Many other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, newspapers, and prominent individuals were also involved. Prominent issues raised during the referendum included what currency an independent Scotland would use, public expenditure, EU membership, and North Sea oil. An exit poll revealed that retention of the pound sterling was the deciding factor for those who voted No, while "disaffection with Westminster politics" was the deciding factor for those who voted Yes.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation in the aftermath of the result and First Minister Alex Salmond called for Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom to achieve an amicable separation in time for the planned date of independence on 24th March 2016.
The Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 set out the arrangements for the referendum and was passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2013, following an agreement between the devolved Scottish government and the Government of the United Kingdom. The independence proposal required a simple majority to pass. All European Union (EU) or Commonwealth citizens residing in Scotland age 16 or over could vote, with some exceptions, which produced a total electorate of almost 4,300,000 people. This was the first time that the electoral franchise was extended to include 16 and 17 year-olds in Scotland.
Yes Scotland was the main campaign group for independence, while Better Together was the main campaign group in favour of maintaining the union. Many other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, newspapers, and prominent individuals were also involved. Prominent issues raised during the referendum included what currency an independent Scotland would use, public expenditure, EU membership, and North Sea oil. An exit poll revealed that retention of the pound sterling was the deciding factor for those who voted No, while "disaffection with Westminster politics" was the deciding factor for those who voted Yes.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation in the aftermath of the result and First Minister Alex Salmond called for Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom to achieve an amicable separation in time for the planned date of independence on 24th March 2016.
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2014 Conservative Party Leadership Election
The 2014 Conservative Party leadership election occurred as a result of Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation as party leader. He had resigned following the Scottish referendum to secede from the United Kingdom. Cameron, who had campaigned for a 'No' vote, announced his resignation on 19th September, saying that he would step down by Christmas. Theresa May won the contest won the contest on 2 December 2014, winning more than twice the number of votes as her rival George Osborne. It was the first time that Conservative Party members directly elected a new Prime Minister.
Conservative Members of Parliament initially voted in ballots to determine which two candidates would go forward to a nationwide ballot of Conservative Party members for the final decision. Four Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates: Home Secretary Theresa May, David Davis, Chancellor George Osborne and Chief Whip Michael Gove.
In the first ballot, May gained the support of almost a third of Conservative MPs and was placed first with Osborne in second place. Davis was eliminated. Gove was eliminated in the second round of voting. Conservative Party members voted during November with the result announced on 2 December. May became Prime Minister on 3 December. She appointed Osborne to her Cabinet as Foreign Secretary, Gove as Leader of the House of Commons and Davis as Defence Secretary.
The 2014 Conservative Party leadership election occurred as a result of Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation as party leader. He had resigned following the Scottish referendum to secede from the United Kingdom. Cameron, who had campaigned for a 'No' vote, announced his resignation on 19th September, saying that he would step down by Christmas. Theresa May won the contest won the contest on 2 December 2014, winning more than twice the number of votes as her rival George Osborne. It was the first time that Conservative Party members directly elected a new Prime Minister.
Conservative Members of Parliament initially voted in ballots to determine which two candidates would go forward to a nationwide ballot of Conservative Party members for the final decision. Four Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates: Home Secretary Theresa May, David Davis, Chancellor George Osborne and Chief Whip Michael Gove.
In the first ballot, May gained the support of almost a third of Conservative MPs and was placed first with Osborne in second place. Davis was eliminated. Gove was eliminated in the second round of voting. Conservative Party members voted during November with the result announced on 2 December. May became Prime Minister on 3 December. She appointed Osborne to her Cabinet as Foreign Secretary, Gove as Leader of the House of Commons and Davis as Defence Secretary.
Prolongation of Parliament Act 2015
The Prolongation of Parliament Act 2015 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for the extension of the 55th Parliament beyond the fixed five-year term set out in the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011. The end of the parliamentary term would be extended from 2015 to 2016 under the legislation. It was the 11th Act of Parliament of its kind, after the 10 Acts passed during the First and Second World Wars. It was triggered by the question of whether Scotland, having voted for independence in 2014, should participate in the scheduled 2015 general election and whether Scottish MPs leaving mid-term would cause political instability in the United Kingdom. To avoid this issue, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats agreed to a one-time extension of the parliamentary term. The proposal was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May on 4 January 2015 and the bill was introduced on 5 January 2015 and received Royal Assent on 29 January 2015.
The Prolongation of Parliament Act 2015 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for the extension of the 55th Parliament beyond the fixed five-year term set out in the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011. The end of the parliamentary term would be extended from 2015 to 2016 under the legislation. It was the 11th Act of Parliament of its kind, after the 10 Acts passed during the First and Second World Wars. It was triggered by the question of whether Scotland, having voted for independence in 2014, should participate in the scheduled 2015 general election and whether Scottish MPs leaving mid-term would cause political instability in the United Kingdom. To avoid this issue, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats agreed to a one-time extension of the parliamentary term. The proposal was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May on 4 January 2015 and the bill was introduced on 5 January 2015 and received Royal Assent on 29 January 2015.
2016 United Kingdom General Election
The 2016 United Kingdom General Election was called on Tuesday 23rd February by Prime Minister Theresa May for Thursday 7th April. The passage of the Scotland Act 2016, giving effect the secession of Scotland, the week before led to the call for the election, one month earlier than the deadline provided for by the Prolongation of Parliament Act in order to avoid a clash with elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the National Assembly for Wales scheduled for 5th May. The House of Commons passed the motion for an early election under the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 without division. The 55th Parliament was dissolved on 29th February. Scotland left the United Kingdom during the campaign, on Thursday 24th March.
The notional 2010 results would have had the Conservatives on 306 seats (37.8% of the vote), with Labour on 217 (27.8% o the vote), the Liberal Democrats on 46 (23.4% of the vote) and other parties on 22 - a Conservative overall majority of 21. The outcome of the 2016 general election was an increase Conservative overall majority of 55, on 323 seats (40.0% of the vote), Labour increasing its number of seats to 238 (33.2% of the vote) and the Liberal Democrats falling to just 8 seats (9.1% of the vote). The UK Independence Party failed to win any seats, but won 10.4% of the national vote. The Greens retained their 1 seat and achieved a record vote of 4.1%.
UK Independence Party: 2,948,523 (10.4%) (+7.1), 0 Seats (+0)
Green Party: 1,157,364 (4.1%) (+3.1), 1 Seat (+0)
Plaid Cymru: 165,337 (0.6%) (+0.0), 3 seats (+0)
Others: 749,007 (2.6%) (-3.5), 18 seats (+0)
Following the General Election, Theresa May formed a majority government and her second ministry. Ed Miliband tendered his resignation as Leader of the Labour Party and Nick Clegg tendered his resignation of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
The 2016 United Kingdom General Election was called on Tuesday 23rd February by Prime Minister Theresa May for Thursday 7th April. The passage of the Scotland Act 2016, giving effect the secession of Scotland, the week before led to the call for the election, one month earlier than the deadline provided for by the Prolongation of Parliament Act in order to avoid a clash with elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the National Assembly for Wales scheduled for 5th May. The House of Commons passed the motion for an early election under the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 without division. The 55th Parliament was dissolved on 29th February. Scotland left the United Kingdom during the campaign, on Thursday 24th March.
The notional 2010 results would have had the Conservatives on 306 seats (37.8% of the vote), with Labour on 217 (27.8% o the vote), the Liberal Democrats on 46 (23.4% of the vote) and other parties on 22 - a Conservative overall majority of 21. The outcome of the 2016 general election was an increase Conservative overall majority of 55, on 323 seats (40.0% of the vote), Labour increasing its number of seats to 238 (33.2% of the vote) and the Liberal Democrats falling to just 8 seats (9.1% of the vote). The UK Independence Party failed to win any seats, but won 10.4% of the national vote. The Greens retained their 1 seat and achieved a record vote of 4.1%.
UK Independence Party: 2,948,523 (10.4%) (+7.1), 0 Seats (+0)
Green Party: 1,157,364 (4.1%) (+3.1), 1 Seat (+0)
Plaid Cymru: 165,337 (0.6%) (+0.0), 3 seats (+0)
Others: 749,007 (2.6%) (-3.5), 18 seats (+0)
Following the General Election, Theresa May formed a majority government and her second ministry. Ed Miliband tendered his resignation as Leader of the Labour Party and Nick Clegg tendered his resignation of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
1995 Conservative Leadership Election
On 22nd June 1995, Prime Minister John Major, frustrated at rebellious backbenchers and constant rumours of a leadership challenge, challenged his rivals to 'put up or shut up' by resigning the leadership of the Conservative Party. Major stood for re-election in the contest, scheduled for 4th July. On 26th June, the Wales Secretary, right-winger John Redwood, resigned from the Cabinet and announced his decision to challenge Major for the leadership. In order to win the contest in the first round a candidate needed both an absolute majority of the electorate (equivalent to 165 votes) and a 15% margin over the runner-up (50 votes). In the first ballot on 4th July, John Major won outright with 208 votes and a lead of over 100 votes over Redwood. However, prior to the result Major had set a private threshold of 215 votes and had resolved to resign for good if he fell below this, which he did. Major announced his resignation immediately and confirmed he would not stand again for the leadership and would resign as Prime Minister once a successor was elected.
With Major standing down, members of the Cabinet were now freely able to stand for the leadership. 3 of them did so: Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade; Michael Portillo, Secretary of State for Employment; and Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State for Education. In the second ballot, a candidate only needed an absolute majority to win. If no candidate succeeded the two candidates with the highest number of votes would proceed to a third ballot.
The second ballot was held on 11th July. Michael Heseltine came first with 154 votes, 11 votes short of a majority. Michael Portillo came second on 112. John Redwood lost a significant amount of support, only winning 51 votes. Gillian Shephard won 12 votes. Heseltine and Portillo proceeded to a third, and final, ballot on 13th July in which Heseltine won 170 votes to Portillo's 142. John Major resigned as Prime Minister on Friday 14th July and recommended to The Queen that she invite Heseltine to form a government, which he accepted. When forming his Cabinet, Heseltine asked Portillo to become Foreign Secretary and Shephard to become Employment Secretary. Redwood was not invited to join the Cabinet with allies of the new Prime Minister saying his 'blatant disloyalty cannot be rewarded'.
On 22nd June 1995, Prime Minister John Major, frustrated at rebellious backbenchers and constant rumours of a leadership challenge, challenged his rivals to 'put up or shut up' by resigning the leadership of the Conservative Party. Major stood for re-election in the contest, scheduled for 4th July. On 26th June, the Wales Secretary, right-winger John Redwood, resigned from the Cabinet and announced his decision to challenge Major for the leadership. In order to win the contest in the first round a candidate needed both an absolute majority of the electorate (equivalent to 165 votes) and a 15% margin over the runner-up (50 votes). In the first ballot on 4th July, John Major won outright with 208 votes and a lead of over 100 votes over Redwood. However, prior to the result Major had set a private threshold of 215 votes and had resolved to resign for good if he fell below this, which he did. Major announced his resignation immediately and confirmed he would not stand again for the leadership and would resign as Prime Minister once a successor was elected.
With Major standing down, members of the Cabinet were now freely able to stand for the leadership. 3 of them did so: Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade; Michael Portillo, Secretary of State for Employment; and Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State for Education. In the second ballot, a candidate only needed an absolute majority to win. If no candidate succeeded the two candidates with the highest number of votes would proceed to a third ballot.
The second ballot was held on 11th July. Michael Heseltine came first with 154 votes, 11 votes short of a majority. Michael Portillo came second on 112. John Redwood lost a significant amount of support, only winning 51 votes. Gillian Shephard won 12 votes. Heseltine and Portillo proceeded to a third, and final, ballot on 13th July in which Heseltine won 170 votes to Portillo's 142. John Major resigned as Prime Minister on Friday 14th July and recommended to The Queen that she invite Heseltine to form a government, which he accepted. When forming his Cabinet, Heseltine asked Portillo to become Foreign Secretary and Shephard to become Employment Secretary. Redwood was not invited to join the Cabinet with allies of the new Prime Minister saying his 'blatant disloyalty cannot be rewarded'.
First Ballot (4th July) - John Major: 208 (63.4%) - John Redwood 94 (28.6%) - Abstentions: 15 (4.6%) - Spoilt: 12 (3.6%) | Second Ballot (11th July) - Michael Heseltine: 154 (46.9%) - Michael Portillo: 112 (34.0%) - John Redwood: 51 (15.5%) - Gillian Shephard: 12 (3.6%) | Third Ballot (13th July) - Michael Heseltine: 170 (51.7%) - Michael Portillo: 142 (43.2%) - Abstentions: 11 (3.3%) - Spoilt: 6 (1.8%) |
| Vote Share | Projected Commons Seats |
| Labour (Blair): 47% Conservative (Major): 32% Lib Dem (Ashdown): 17% Others: 4% Labour Lead +15% | Labour (Blair): 409 (+136) Conservative (Major): 193 (-150) Lib Dem (Ashdown): 31 (+13) Others: 26 (+1) Labour Majority of 159 |
| Labour (Blair): 45% Conservative (Heseltine): 35% Lib Dem (Ashdown): 16% Others: 4% Labour Lead +10% | Labour (Blair): 380 (+107) Conservative (Heseltine): 234 (-109) Lib Dem (Ashdown): 20 (+2) Others: 25 (+0) Labour Majority of 101 |
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1997 United Kingdom General Election
The 1997 United Kingdom General Election was called by Prime Minister Michael Heseltine on 24th April for Thursday 22nd May, the latest possible date under law, with Parliament dissolved on 28th April. The Labour Party under Tony Blair presented a more centrist policy agenda that in previous elections, under the brand of 'New Labour', which included promises of devolution referendums for Scotland and Wales. Michael Heseltine had spent his 22 months as Prime Minister seeking to rebuild public trust in the Conservatives following a number of scandals, including Black Wednesday, by focusing on the economic recovery but divisions still remained within the party over Europe.
Opinion polls before and during the early parts of the campaign showed strong support for Labour. The first-ever live television debates in a UK general election were held on 7th May and 15th May between Heseltine, Blair and Ashdown. Blair initially refused to partake in debates owing to his party's substantial poll lead, but later wrote that his campaign determined that not participating while the other leaders did would damage his personal popularity that had fuelled Labour's surge in the polls since he became leader in 1994. The debates proved beneficial for Heseltine, who was judged to have won the second debate. Ashdown's strong performance provided a small boost for the Liberal Democrats in the polls.
The final result of the election saw a landslide majority for Labour, making a net gain of 99 seats and winning 41.0% of the vote. The Conservatives suffered defeat with a net loss of 116 seats and winning 33.4% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats gained 16 new seats and increased their vote to 19.3%. The overall result of the election ended 18 years Conservative government, in their worst defeat since 1945.
Labour Majority of 85
The 1997 United Kingdom General Election was called by Prime Minister Michael Heseltine on 24th April for Thursday 22nd May, the latest possible date under law, with Parliament dissolved on 28th April. The Labour Party under Tony Blair presented a more centrist policy agenda that in previous elections, under the brand of 'New Labour', which included promises of devolution referendums for Scotland and Wales. Michael Heseltine had spent his 22 months as Prime Minister seeking to rebuild public trust in the Conservatives following a number of scandals, including Black Wednesday, by focusing on the economic recovery but divisions still remained within the party over Europe.
Opinion polls before and during the early parts of the campaign showed strong support for Labour. The first-ever live television debates in a UK general election were held on 7th May and 15th May between Heseltine, Blair and Ashdown. Blair initially refused to partake in debates owing to his party's substantial poll lead, but later wrote that his campaign determined that not participating while the other leaders did would damage his personal popularity that had fuelled Labour's surge in the polls since he became leader in 1994. The debates proved beneficial for Heseltine, who was judged to have won the second debate. Ashdown's strong performance provided a small boost for the Liberal Democrats in the polls.
The final result of the election saw a landslide majority for Labour, making a net gain of 99 seats and winning 41.0% of the vote. The Conservatives suffered defeat with a net loss of 116 seats and winning 33.4% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats gained 16 new seats and increased their vote to 19.3%. The overall result of the election ended 18 years Conservative government, in their worst defeat since 1945.
Labour Majority of 85
2016 United Kingdom European Union Membership Referendum
Membership of the EU had long been a topic of debate in the United Kingdom. The country joined the European Economic Community, the forerunner to the European Union, in 1973, along with the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community. A referendum on continued membership of the EEC was held in 1975, with 67.2% of the population voting in favour of Britain remaining a member. Another referendum on the issue was held in 2016 following the election of a majority Conservative government in the 2015 general election after their manifesto pledge to hold an in/out referendum on the question before 2017. Britain Stronger in Europe became the official group campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU and was endorsed by Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor George Osborne and Conservative MP Boris Johnson. Vote Leave was the official group campaigning for the UK to leave the EU and was fronted by Conservative MPs Michael Gove and Penny Mordaunt, along with Labour MP Gisela Stuart. Other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, trade unions, newspapers and prominent individuals were also involved, with both sides having supporters across the political spectrum. Parties in favour of Remain included Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, while UKIP campaigned in favour of leaving the EU. The Conservative Party remained neutral. In spite of their official positions, both Labour and the Conservatives allowed their MPs to publicly campaign for either side of the issue.
Immediately after the result, financial markets reacted positively and the value of the Pound rose significantly. David Cameron remained Prime Minister and conducted a reshuffle of his Cabinet one week after the vote which saw prominent campaigners for Leave given jobs in a bid to demonstrate unity. The closeness of the result and the dissatisfaction with Labour's own campaign led to continued leadership problems in the party. Support for UKIP rose in the aftermath of the result.
Aftermath of the European Union Referendum
The stock markets and currency markets rose around the world on the confirmation of the result, while campaigners for both campaigns welcomed and derided the result. The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, called the result a "moment of joyous history" and senior Remain campaigner & Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said that the United Kingdom had voted to keep the country "on the right the track". Vote Leave campaigner Gisela Stuart said she was "disappointed" at the result, while UKIP leader Nigel Farage said "it is not a done deal" and said it was "inevitable" that there would be a second referendum in just a few years due to the closeness of the result.
David Cameron emerged from Number 10 at 8:20am to deliver a statement on the results and the victory for his renegotiated terms of membership for the UK in the EU.
| This referendum was perhaps the biggest democratic exercise in the history of these islands. 33 million people - from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and yes, even Gibraltar - all having their say in a supreme act of national sovereignty. We should remember that we're fortunate to live in a country with democratic institutions, the rule of law and this - the opportunity to ask the people on an issue that goes to the heart of Britain's place in the world. And we will never forget that, during this exercise in democracy, we lost a true servant of democracy, the brilliant MP and campaigner Jo Cox. The British people have spoken and decided to remain in a reformed European Union. Let me thank the people who were involved in the campaign: everyone who worked with Britain Stronger in Europe; all the politicians who took the brave decision to cross party lines and argue for what they believed was in the national interest; and all the young people who took to the streets and took to social media to say 'this is about our future - this matters'. But I also want to pay tribute to those involved in the Leave campaign. They made strong arguments about our country and they believed was in its best interests. Of course, no one can deny that there has been vigorous debate on both sides. It has divided families, friends, colleagues - and yes, politicians too. But it has demonstrated that there is one thing that unites us: We are all patriots. We all love Britain. That is what motivated us, what made us so passionate and it is now what must bring everyone back together again. We all believe in Britain and I know I now have a special responsibility to bring not just politicians, but our whole country, back together. It is worth remembering why we had this renegotiation and referendum. It's because the status quo wasn't working properly for Britain. We needed to fix some of the problems with the EU: safeguarding the pound, cutting bureaucracy, ending 'something for nothing', but above all, I don't think Britain ever felt comfortable about the prospect of deeper political integration. So things needed to change. And now they will. Because we voted to stay in on a reformed basis, key elements of Britain's enhanced special status will be set in stone. This afternoon in Brussels, new rules to protect Britain from Eurozone discrimination come into force. From today, national parliaments will have new powers to block EU legislation. And - as of this moment - we are out of ever-closer union for good. Let me put that another way: as far as Britain is concerned, the political project for further integration in Europe is over. And next week, I'll be going to a meeting of the European Council to report the result of the referendum. I'll be pointing out to my European counterparts that while just over 50 per cent of our country voted to Remain, almost 50 per cent voted to leave the European Union altogether. Institutions in Brussels must understand that they work to serve the people and democratically-elected governments of Europe - not the other way round. The EU needs to recognise that this referendum was about not just people making a decision but also about listening. And they will have heard the British people's concerns, for example about the impact of migration, loud and clear. So the work of reform doesn't end here. And Britain's voice gets stronger, too. In all the things we need to do together - fighting terrorism, completing the Single Market, dealing with the migration crisis, creating job opportunities for young people - Britain will now play an even bigger role. I believe it was right to hold the referendum early on in the Parliament so the uncertainty didn't hang over us. And it was right to say ministers could campaign on whichever side they chose. But the Cabinet will come back together, we will meet on Monday and we will get on with the work set out in our manifesto and Queen's Speech. We are servants of the people. They rightly expect us to do what we were elected to do a year ago. So we must be one government, with one goal: building One Nation. We want this to be a country in which everyone - whatever their background - can get on in life. Where it doesn't matter where you come from - it's where you're going that counts. That means a stronger economy, so people can get a good job, a decent wage, a home of their own. It means extending life chances right across our country. And let's remember: while there were many people who felt that leaving Europe was a threat to their economic security, there were some who never felt that security to begin with - worried about their job prospects, worried about the impact of migration, worried about getting on in life. They need a government that delivers the security they crave and we will not rest until we build One Nation, in which everyone is a part of Britain's success. We are on a long walk to a Greater Britain. It's not always a straight line, or the easiest of journeys. But today, thanks to the British people, we've taken what I believe is an important step forwards. We will continue to move ahead with a strong economy that delivers opportunity for all. We will go further and faster in building an open, outward-looking, tolerant society - one that we will be proud to pass on to our children and grandchildren. We will be that big player on the world stage, fighting for our national interest. And we will do so together, as one government, as one people and as one United Kingdom. |
Jean Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, welcomed the result saying "our close bond with the United Kingdom endures stronger today than ever before". French President Francois Hollande heralded a "Victory for Europe", while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "pleased" that "our close friend and partner" had voted to stay in the EU. Ireland's Taoiseach Enda Kenny said "Northern Ireland and the UK have voted for a positive future, to retain our close relationship and to avoid the unwelcome sight of a new border in Ireland". In the United States, President Obama said he was "enthusiastic" about the "bright" future that lay ahead for US-UK and US-EU relations following the result, sentiments echoed by Democratic presumptive nominee for President, Hillary Clinton. Republic presumptive nominee Donald Trump, who was in Scotland on the morning of the referendum result, said he was "disappointed" by the result, adding he was the "biggest believer" in the idea of Brexit but went on to say "Great Britain is a fantastic country and when I'm in the White House we will the best relationship".
On 30th June, one week after the referendum, David Cameron conduced a wholesale reshuffle of his Cabinet in a 'show of unity' in the Conservative Party after the referendum campaign which divided them down the middle. Prominent Leave campaigners were rewarded with new jobs, while Remain campaigners were shuffled about to different roles.
2018 Conservative Party Leadership Election
On 3rd July 2018, Cameron announced his resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party in a statement in Downing Street and said that he would aim to stand down as Prime Minister before the start of the Conservative Party's conference at the end of September. On 6th July, the 1922 Committee set out the timetable and rules for the contest, with the winner of the final ballot of party members being announced on 1st September to allow the victor to take over as Prime Minister before Parliament returned from Summer recess.
A 24-hour window for nominations opened on 9th July during which seven candidates put themselves forward for the leadership of the Conservative Party:
Left-to-right:
Michael Gove, George Osborne, Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Jeremy Hunt, Andrea Leadsom
The emergence of Sajid Javid as the surprise front-runner at the end of the ballots of MPs signified to many the changing nature of the Conservative Party: no longer constrained by class or background or ethnicity, but still retaining its core politics with Javid a known eurosceptic (despite caving to pressure to back Remain in the referendum) and admirer of Margaret Thatcher. Pit against the popular Foreign Secretary Theresa May, the Conservative Party witnessed an intense, but ultimately friendly, battle of ideas over the summer of 2018 with 12 party-organised hustings and two television debates between the candidates seeing them presented to the country and membership. In opinion polls, the general public were shown to favour Javid by around 45-40 with a significant portion not knowing, while surveys for ConservativeHome of party members showed the race consistently neck-and-neck between the two candidates, who both promised to renew the Conservative Party, fire up the membership and win a third term in government. After six weeks of heavy campaigning, the result of the members' ballot was announced by Graham Brady at the QEII Centre in London on 1st September.
The Government of Sajid Javid
Full List of Cabinet Departures
George Osborne (Resigned)
Liam Fox (Sacked)
Greg Clark (Sacked)
Matthew Hancock (Demoted)
Liz Truss (Sacked)
Brandon Lewis (Sacked)
Chris Grayling (Sacked)
Andrea Leadsom (Sacked)
Priti Patel (Demoted)
Dominic Raab (Demoted)
Gavin Barwell (Sacked)
Final Poll Under David Cameron (29th August 2018) | First Poll Under Sajid Javid (5th September 2018) |
| Voting Intention (GB% & UK Seats) Conservative: 36% (338) (+7) Labour: 32% (227) (-5) UKIP: 15% (3) (+2) Liberal Democrats: 7% (3) (-5) Greens: 5% (1) (+0) SNP: 5% (57) (+1) Others: 1% (21) (+0)
| Voting Intention (GB% & UK Seats) Conservative: 43% (393) (+62) Labour: 27% (182) (-50) UKIP: 14% (1) (+0) Greens: 6% (1) (+0) Liberal Democrats: 5% (1) (-7) SNP: 4% (51) (-5) Others: 1% (21) (+0)
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| Preferred Prime Minister David Cameron: 37% Jeremy Corbyn: 25% Not Sure: 38% | Preferred Prime Minister Sajid Javid: 48% Jeremy Corbyn: 21% Not Sure: 31% |
2020 United Kingdom General Election
elect 650 members to the House of Commons. It was the second general election at the end of a fixed-term Parliament, originally scheduled for 7 May 2020 but postponed for six weeks by statutory instrument to avoid clashing with the planned celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on 8th May. Local elections scheduled for 7th May were also postponed to coincide with the general election as originally planned.
The Conservative Party, which had governed as a senior coalition partner from 2010 and as a single-party majority government from 2015, was defending a working majority of 13 against the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn. The Conservative Party was led by Sajid Javid, who became Prime Minister after the resignation of David Cameron in 2018 and was contesting his first general election as leader.
Opinion polls consistently showed strong leads for the Conservatives over Labour. Peaking at a 19-point lead, the Conservatives' lead decreased slightly but remained steady. The results of the election showed the Conservatives making net gains of 71 seats to bring their total to 402, the party's best performance since 1931 while their percentage of the vote increased to 40.7%, the strongest showing since 1992. Labour suffered net losses of 53 seats, falling to 179 and their worst performance since 1935. Labour's share of the vote fell to 25.2%, their worst performance since 1918. The Scottish National Party lost 17 seats to fall to 39, while the Liberal Democrats fell to fifth place behind the Democratic Unionist Party on just 6 seats, which was the worst showing for the main liberal party since 1970 and their diminished 5.6% of the vote was the worst showing since 1955. UKIP increased its share of the vote by over a point compared to 2015, but only retained its one seat.
Plaid Cymru gained on seat to give them a total of four seats. The Green Party retained its sole seat, while achieving their best ever share of the vote and winning over two million votes. In Northern Ireland, the DUP won 10 seats, Sinn Fein won 5, the SDLP won 2 and independent Lady Hermon retained her seat.
The campaign focused heavily on the economy, infrastructure, the NHS, antisemitism and foreign policy. The Conservatives pledged to "Unleash Britain's Potential" by giving everyone the opportunity to succeed, providing "world class" public services and building a "stronger and more cohesive" society. The Conservative manifesto, launched in Stoke-on-Trent, promised to deliver lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and growth. It set out plans for a £100 billion National Infrastructure Fund, a long-term investment plan for education, recruiting 20,000 new police officers, 50,000 more nurses in the NHS, a commitment to build both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, introduce more devolved combined authorities, increase funding for defence and maintain the foreign aid budget. After the budget in March 2020 but the basic rate of income tax to 18%, the Conservatives pledged to cut it further to 15%. The 2019 budget showed a surplus, of around £7 billion, for the first time well over a decade, Javid and the Conservatives said they would seek to retain a surplus but would invest in public services and cut taxes to the greatest extents possible.
The Labour Party focused on public spending, arguing that services were being underfunded after austerity, particularly education. Labour proposed to the creation of four new bank holidays, the building of 1 million new homes over five years and the recruitment of 10,000 new police officers. The party also ruled out increases in income tax, VAT and employee national insurance contributions for those earning under £80,000 a year. It pledged to ban junk food advertisements on television, scrap parking charges at NHS hospitals, invest in education, scrap tuition fees. increase corporation tax to 26% and reintroduce the 50% income tax rate for those earning £123,000 or more a year. It also set out plans in its manifest for an ambitious programme of renationalisation to bring the National Grid, Royal Mail, railways, water and the wider energy market under public control. It also planned for reform the broadband sector to provide free broadband to all households. Despite Jeremy Corbyn's personal opposition to nuclear weapons, the party committed to retaining the Trident nuclear deterrent and also said that it would ban weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.
The SNP called for a new referendum to be held on Scottish independence if the SNP won a mandate for one in the planned 2021 elections to the Scottish Parliament. They also pledged to work with other parties to form an "anti-austerity" coalition to remove the Conservatives from power in the event of a hung parliament. It also said it would push for a £10 minimum wage and over £110 billion in investment in UK public services. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats said it would raise the basic rate of income tax to 21% to fund the NHS, would provide £7 billion to protect per pupil funding education and accept 50,000 refugees from Syria over the course of the next parliament. It also set out plans to extend paternity leave and legalise cannabis, as well as committing to the 2% of GDP target on defence spending. UKIP said it would levy no tax on the minimum wage up to £13,000 a year, raise the 40% income tax threshold to £55,000 and introduce a new 30% rate. It also pledged to scrap HS2, scrap inheritance tax, end unskilled immigration for five years, fund 25,000 more nurses, build 1 million new homes, scrap green taxes, cut aid spending and hold a second referendum on Britain's EU membership by 2025.
The Conservatives won a third term and an overall majority of 154 in the new Parliament, the largest for the party since 1935 and the largest for any government since 2001. The Conservatives also won 17 seats in Scotland, their best performance since 1983 and won the most seats in London for the first time since 1992. Labour's defeat led to Jeremy Corbyn announcing his intention to resign, triggering a leadership election. Tim Farron announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats, too. The poor performance of the SNP led to growing concerns that the party may fail to secure another term as the Scottish Government in 2021. Sajid Javid travelled to Buckingham Palace to visit The Queen on 19th June to form a new government and conducted a reshuffle of his Cabinet afterwards, which saw rivals sacked from their posts and allies rewarded.
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2019 European Parliament Elections (United Kingdom)
The most successful party overall was the UK Independence Party (UKIP) which retained its 24 seats from the last election in 2014 and increased its share of the vote to 28.5%, the second time that a political party other than Labour or the Conservatives had won the popular vote at a British election in over a century.
For the second consecutive election, the Official Opposition failed to win the European Parliament election - the second time since 1984. Labour also suffered its second worst ever performance in a European Parliament, falling to 15 seats and 18% of the vote. The Green Party achieved its best ever result, winning 5 seats and over 11% of the vote. The Scottish National Party won the largest share of the vote in Scotland, taking 33% and 3 MEPs. The Liberal Democrats suffered their worst result since 1989, losing their only MEP and falling to 6% of the vote.
The United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union was the central issue of the campaign, following the narrow vote to remain inside the EU in the 2016 referendum. For some it was considered a proxy for a second referendum on the question, which UKIP was campaigning for, and Nigel Farage said the result represented a victory for euroscepticism and called on both Sajid Javid and Jeremy Corbyn to commit to holding a second referendum after the next general election.
In light of the results of the 2020 general election, the 2019 European Parliament election was considered a foreshadow of future events. The increase in support for the Conservatives and collapse in support for Labour mirrored the 2020 election results. So too did the increase in support for UKIP and the Greens, and the further diminishing in support for the Liberal Democrats.
2020 Labour Party Leadership Election
resign as Leader of the Labour Party following the party's defeat at the 2020 general election. It was won by Emily Thornberry who received 51.2% of the vote in the second round, to become the first female Leader of the Labour Party.
To qualify for the ballot, candidates needed nominations from 10% (20) of the party's Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament, followed by support from either 5% (33) of Constituency Labour Parties or from at least 3 affiliated groups, including two trade unions, and representing 5% of affiliated members. Four MPs put themselves forward for the ballot (Emily Thornberry, Hilary Benn, Angela Eagle and Rebecca Long Bailey) and all received sufficient nominations in both the first and second round of nominations to qualify. Benn had the most nominations from MPs and MEPs at 72, followed by Thornberry with 50, Eagle with 46 and Long Bailey with 26.
Four candidates put themselves forward and qualified for the ballot:
- Emily Thornberry: Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (2016-2020)
- Hilary Benn: Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs (2015-2020)
- Angela Eagle: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (2015-2020)
- Rebecca Long Bailey: Shadow First Secretary of State (2018-2020)
The result of the election, as well as the corresponding contest for deputy leader, was announced at 10:45am on 12 September 2020 at a special conference in London.
Emily Thornberry established a clear lead in the first round of voting and, after the elimination of Rebecca Long Bailey, won the election on the second round of voting.
