1994 Labour Party leadership election


The 1994 Labour Party leadership election was held on 21 July 1994 after the sudden death of the incumbent leader, John Smith, on 12 May. Tony Blair won the leadership and became Prime Minister after winning the 1997 general election.
The election was the first held under the new leadership election rules that had been introduced in 1993, which included an element of one member, one vote. The poll for leader was held simultaneously with a deputy leadership vote.

Candidates

had been the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, and following Smith's death was serving as acting leader; she was the first female Labour MP ever to stand for the leadership of the party. Tony Blair was, at the time of his candidature, the Shadow Home Secretary.
It has been widely speculated that Shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown did not stand due to a pact agreed with Blair at the Granita Restaurant in Islington, North London. Shortly after John Smith's death, Roy Hattersley telephoned Blair and urged him to stand for the Party leadership. Blair informed Hattersley that he was worried about "hurting Gordon" to which Hattersley replied that he should tell Gordon Brown that there had been "a lot of people in the past who had wanted to be leader of the Labour Party and have come to terms with the fact that they weren't going to be" and that Brown would have to be part of a line that "goes back a very long way".
However, in a MORI poll conducted shortly after Smith's death among all Labour supporters, Mr Blair took 32 per cent, Mr Prescott 21 per cent, Mrs Beckett and Mr Brown 12 per cent each, and Mr Cook 7 per cent, suggesting that Brown didn't have much chance of winning anyway.
Robin Cook, the Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry stated that he would not run, as he did not believe he was attractive enough to the general electorate and that this would damage the party at the next election. John Prescott, who had stood at the 1992 deputy leadership election and lost to Beckett, stood again for both leader and deputy leader.
The "electoral college" system that had been introduced meant that the votes of members of affiliated groups, the members of constituency parties, and Labour MPs were all weighted equally.


Tony Blair won, and led the party to its first general election victory for twenty-three years at the 1997 Election. Prescott won the deputy leadership poll, and went on to become Deputy Prime Minister during Blair's premiership. Beckett would also serve both in the Shadow Cabinet and then the Cabinet throughout Blair's term as leader, eventually becoming the last of the three Foreign Secretaries of the Blair ministries.
The next leadership election to take place occurred when Blair resigned in June 2007; this election was won by Gordon Brown, who ran uncontested.

How each MP voted

MPLeader voteDeputy Leader vote
Diane AbbottBeckettBeckett
Irene AdamsPrescottPrescott
Nick AingerBlairPrescott
Bob AinsworthBlairPrescott
Graham AllenBlairBeckett
Donald AndersonBlairBeckett
Janet AndersonBlairPrescott
Hilary ArmstrongBlairBeckett
Joe AshtonBlairPrescott
John Austin-WalkerBeckettBeckett
Tony BanksBeckettBeckett
Harry BarnesBeckettBeckett
Kevin BarronBlairPrescott
John BattleBeckettBeckett
Hugh BayleyBlairPrescott
Margaret BeckettBeckettBeckett
Stuart BellBlairBeckett
Tony BennPrescottBeckett
Andrew BennettPrescottPrescott
Joe BentonBlairPrescott
Gerry BerminghamBlairPrescott
Roger BerryPrescottBeckett
Clive BettsBlairBeckett
Tony BlairBlair-
David BlunkettBlairPrescott
Paul BoatengBlairBeckett
Roland BoyesBeckettBeckett
Keith BradleyBlairPrescott
Jeremy BrayBlairPrescott
Gordon BrownBlairBeckett
Nick BrownBeckettBeckett
Richard BurdenBlairPrescott
Stephen ByersBlairBeckett
Richard CabornPrescottPrescott
Jim CallaghanBlairPrescott
Anne CampbellBlairBeckett
Ronnie CampbellPrescottBeckett
Dale Campbell-SavoursBlairBeckett
Dennis CanavanBeckettBeckett
Jamie CannBlairPrescott
Malcolm ChisholmBeckettBeckett
Judith ChurchBlairBeckett
Michael ClaphamPrescottBeckett
David ClarkBlairBeckett
Eric ClarkePrescottPrescott
Tom ClarkeBlairBeckett
David ClellandBlairBeckett
Ann ClwydBlairPrescott
Ann CoffeyBlairPrescott
Harry CohenBeckettBeckett
Michael ConnartyBlairPrescott
Robin CookBlairPrescott
Frank CookPrescottPrescott
Robin CorbettBlairPrescott
Jeremy CorbynBeckettBeckett
Jean CorstonBeckettBeckett
Jim CousinsBeckettBeckett
Tom CoxBlairBeckett
John CummingsBlairPrescott
Lawrence CunliffeBlairPrescott
Jack CunninghamBlairBeckett
Jim CunninghamBlairPrescott
Tam DalyellPrescottPrescott
Alistair DarlingBlairBeckett
Ian DavidsonPrescottPrescott
Bryan DaviesBlairPrescott
Denzil DaviesPrescottBeckett
Ron DaviesBlairPrescott
Terry DavisPrescottPrescott
John DenhamBlairBeckett
Donald DewarBlairBeckett
Don DixonPrescottPrescott
Frank DobsonBlairBeckett
Brian DonohoePrescottPrescott
Jim DowdBlairPrescott
Jimmy DunnachieBlairPrescott
Gwyneth DunwoodyPrescottPrescott
Angela EagleBeckettBeckett
Ken EasthamPrescottPrescott
Derek EnrightBlairPrescott
Bill EtheringtonPrescottPrescott
John EvansBlairPrescott
Derek FatchettBeckettBeckett
Andrew FauldsBlairPrescott
Frank FieldBlairPrescott
Mark FisherBlairPrescott
Paul FlynnBlairBeckett
Derek FosterBlairBeckett
George FoulkesBlairPrescott
John FraserBlairBeckett
Maria FyfeBeckettBeckett
Sam GalbraithBlairBeckett
George Galloway--
Mike GapesBlairBeckett
John GarrettBlairBeckett
Bruce GeorgeBlairPrescott
Neil GerrardBeckettBeckett
John GilbertBlairPrescott
Norman GodmanPrescottPrescott
Roger Godsiff--
Llin GoldingBeckettBeckett
Mildred GordonBeckettBeckett
Tommy GrahamPrescottPrescott
Bernie GrantBeckettBeckett
Nigel GriffithsBlairBeckett
Win GriffithsBlairBeckett
Bruce GrocottBlairPrescott
John GunnellBlairPrescott
Peter HainBeckettPrescott
Mike HallPrescottPrescott
David HansonBlairPrescott
Peter HardyBlairBeckett
Harriet HarmanBlairBeckett
Roy HattersleyBlairPrescott
Doug HendersonBlairBeckett
John HeppellBeckettBeckett
Keith HillBlairBeckett
David HinchliffePrescottPrescott
Margaret HodgeBlairBeckett
Kate HoeyBlairBeckett
Norman HoggBlairBeckett
Jimmy HoodPrescottPrescott
Geoff HoonBlairBeckett
George HowarthBlairBeckett
Kim HowellsBlairBeckett
Doug HoylePrescottPrescott
Bob HughesPrescottPrescott
Kevin HughesBlairPrescott
Roy HughesBlairPrescott
John HuttonBlairBeckett
Eric IllsleyPrescottPrescott
Adam IngramBlairBeckett
Glenda JacksonBlairBeckett
Helen JacksonBeckettBeckett
David JamiesonBlairBeckett
Greville JannerBlairPrescott
Barry JonesBlairBeckett
Jon Owen JonesBlairPrescott
Lynne JonesBeckettBeckett
Martyn JonesPrescottPrescott
Tessa JowellBlairBeckett
Gerald KaufmanBlairPrescott
Alan KeenBlairBeckett
Jane KennedyBlairPrescott
Piara KhabraBlairPrescott
Peter KilfoyleBlairPrescott
Neil KinnockBlairBeckett
Joan LestorPrescottPrescott
Terry LewisBeckettPrescott
Helen LiddellBlairPrescott
Bob LitherlandPrescottPrescott
Ken LivingstoneBeckettBeckett
Tony LloydPrescottPrescott
Geoffrey LofthouseBlairPrescott
Eddie LoydenBeckettBeckett
Calum MacDonaldBlairPrescott
Andrew MackinlayBeckettPrescott
Max MaddenBeckettBeckett
Alice MahonBeckettBeckett
Peter MandelsonBlairPrescott
John MarekBeckettBeckett
David MarshallPrescottBeckett
Jim MarshallBeckettBeckett
Michael MartinBlairPrescott
Eric MartlewBlairPrescott
John MaxtonBlairBeckett
John McAllionPrescottPrescott
Tommy McAvoyBlairPrescott
Ian McCartneyPrescottPrescott
John McFallBlairPrescott
Willie McKelveyPrescottPrescott
Henry McLeishBlairBeckett
Gordon McMasterPrescottPrescott
Kevin McNamaraBlairBeckett
Denis MacShaneBlairPrescott
John McWilliamBlairBeckett
Michael MeacherPrescottPrescott
Alan MealePrescottPrescott
Alun MichaelBlairBeckett
Bill MichieBeckettBeckett
Alan MilburnBlairBeckett
Andrew MillerBlairPrescott
Austin MitchellBlairPrescott
Lewis MoonieBlairBeckett
Rhodri MorganBlairPrescott
Elliot MorleyBlairPrescott
Alf MorrisBlairBeckett
Estelle MorrisBlairPrescott
John MorrisBlairPrescott
Mo MowlamBlairPrescott
George MudieBlairPrescott
Chris MullinBlairBeckett
Paul MurphyBlairPrescott
Mike O'BrienBlairPrescott
Bill O'BrienBlairPrescott
Eddie O'HaraBlairPrescott
Martin O'NeillBlairPrescott
Gordon OakesBlairBeckett
Bill OlnerBlairPrescott
Stan OrmeBlairPrescott
Bob ParryPrescottPrescott
Terry PatchettPrescottSpoilt
Tom PendryBlairPrescott
Colin PickthallPrescottPrescott
Peter PikeBeckettBeckett
Greg PopeBlairPrescott
Ray PowellPrescottPrescott
Bridget PrenticeBlairPrescott
Gordon PrenticeBeckettBeckett
John PrescottPrescottPrescott
Dawn PrimaroloBeckettBeckett
Ken PurchaseBeckettBeckett
Joyce QuinBlairBeckett
Giles RadiceBlairBeckett
Stuart RandallBlairBeckett
Nick RaynsfordBlairBeckett
Martin RedmondPrescottPrescott
John ReidBlairPrescott
George RobertsonBlairBeckett
John Home RobertsonBlairPrescott
Geoffrey RobinsonBlairPrescott
Barbara RocheBeckettBeckett
Allan RogersBlairPrescott
Jeff RookerBlairPrescott
Terry RooneyBeckettPrescott
Ernie RossBlairPrescott
Ted RowlandsBlairPrescott
Joan RuddockBlairBeckett
Brian SedgemoreBeckettPrescott
Barry SheermanBlairBeckett
Robert SheldonBlairPrescott
Peter ShoreBlairPrescott
Clare ShortBeckettBeckett
Alan SimpsonBeckettBeckett
Dennis SkinnerBeckettBeckett
Andrew SmithBlairBeckett
Chris SmithBlairBeckett
Llew SmithPrescottBeckett
Peter SnapePrescottPrescott
Clive SoleyBlairPrescott
Nigel SpearingBeckettBeckett
John SpellarBlairPrescott
Rachel SquireBlairBeckett
Gerry SteinbergBlairPrescott
George StevensonBeckettBeckett
Roger StottBlairPrescott
Gavin StrangBlairBeckett
Jack StrawBlair-
Gerry SutcliffeBlairPrescott
Ann TaylorBlairBeckett
Jack ThompsonBlairPrescott
Stephen TimmsBlairBeckett
Paddy TippingBeckettBeckett
Dennis TurnerBlairBeckett
Keith VazBlairBeckett
Harold WalkerBlairPrescott
Joan WalleyPrescottPrescott
Gareth Wardell--
Bob WareingPrescottPrescott
Mike WatsonBlairPrescott
Malcolm WicksBlairPrescott
Alan J. WilliamsBlairPrescott
Alan W. WilliamsBlairBeckett
Brian WilsonBlairPrescott
David WinnickPrescottBeckett
Audrey WiseBeckettBeckett
Tony WorthingtonBlairPrescott
Jimmy WrayPrescottPrescott
Tony WrightBlairPrescott
David YoungPrescottPrescott

Source