From the Wembley Conference to the ‘McDonnell Amendment’: Labour's Leadership Nomination Rules

Abstract

A recent change to the Labour Party’s nomination rules for leadership elections was the eighth such major modification of this brief clause in the party’s rule book since 1981. These changes have provided a barometer of factional conflict over this period and indicate the importance of gate-keeping powers in leadership selection. This paper recounts the history of these eight rule changes. It shows how the proportion of Labour MPs (and later MEPs) required to nominate candidates in leadership elections has oscillated markedly, as the left has tried to reduce it while centrists have sought to increase it. The most recent change in 2017, when the threshold was decreased to 10% of Labour MPs and MEPs, was a victory for the left. The paper argues that the changes to Labour’s nomination rules, while lower-key than the extension of voting rights from MPs to ordinary members, have been just as significant.