1922 Labour Party leadership election (UK)

The 1922 Labour Party leadership election was the first leadership election for the posts of Chairman and Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Previously the position had been simply the "Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party".

1922 Labour Party leadership election

21 November 1922 (1922-11-21)

Candidate Ramsay MacDonald J. R. Clynes Popular vote 61 56 Percentage 52.1% 47.9%

Leader before election J. R. Clynes Elected Leader Ramsay MacDonald

The election took place when incumbent Chairman John Clynes was challenged by former leader Ramsay MacDonald. MacDonald opposed the way Clynes led the party.

Candidates

• John Clynes, incumbent Leader of the Labour Party, Member of Parliament for Manchester Platting
• Ramsay MacDonald, former Leader of the Labour Party, Member of Parliament for Aberavon

Result

The result of the only ballot of Labour MPs on 14 December was as follows:

Only ballot: 21 November 1922
Candidate		Votes	%
	Ramsay MacDonald	61	52.14
	J. R. Clynes	56	47.86
Majority		5	4.28
Turnout		117	82.39
Ramsay MacDonald elected

After the election Clynes was given the newly created office of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. As Labour leader, MacDonald became prime minister in 1924 and from 1929 to 1931, at which point he became head of a National Government that was opposed by the bulk of the Labour Party, and he was succeeded as party leader by Arthur Henderson. MacDonald was subsequently expelled from the party. In 1932, George Lansbury became leader unopposed, as one of the few experienced Labour MPs left in Parliament, but trades union opposition to his pacifism led to his resignation in 1935 and replacement by his deputy Clement Attlee. A month later Attlee was challenged in a new election.

References

• Marquand, David (1977), Ramsay MacDonald, London: Jonathan Cape, pp. 285–287