1956 Labour Party deputy leadership election
The 1956 Labour Party deputy leadership election took place on 2 February 1956, after the resignation of sitting deputy leader Herbert Morrison. Morrison resigned after his heavy defeat in the leadership election in December 1955, but the party decided not to hold a deputy leadership election until the new year.[1]
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Candidates
- Aneurin Bevan, former Minister of Labour and National Service, Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale
- Jim Griffiths, former Secretary of State for the Colonies, Member of Parliament for Llanelli
Results
| Only ballot: 2 February 1956 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Jim Griffiths | 141 | 56.0 | |
| Aneurin Bevan | 111 | 44.0 | |
| Jim Griffiths elected | |||
The day after the result was announced, the political correspondent of The Glasgow Herald reported that "Mr Griffiths's success was a foregone conclusion", but Bevan attracted a much higher vote than had been expected. He speculated that if Bevan could "keep his personal animosities under control, and restrain his tendency to quarrel with colleagues in public" he would be "a formidable contender" for the post of deputy leader if he were to challenge Griffiths the following year.[2]
Notes and references
- "Mr Gaitskell elected Labour leader". The Times. 15 December 1955.
- "Mr Griffiths as Labour's New Deputy Leader - Good Support for Mr Bevan". The Glasgow Herald. 3 February 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- Quinn, Thomas (2013). "Labour Party Deputy Leadership Elections 1952-2007". University of Essex. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014.
- "Mr J Griffiths's majority of 30". The Times. 3 February 1956.
- "New deputy leader". Manchester Guardian. 3 February 1956.