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Leader of the Labour Party (UK)

none

Field	Value
post	Leader of the Labour Party
member_of	National Executive Committee
image	Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Official Portrait (cropped 2).jpg
incumbentsince	4 April 2020
status	Party leader
insigniasize	200px
insigniacaption	Logo for the Labour Party
formation	17 January 1906
inaugural	Keir Hardie
incumbent	Keir Starmer
precursor	Chair of the PLP
deputy	Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

The leader of the Labour Party is the highest political office within the Labour Party of the United Kingdom. The current holder of the position is Keir Starmer, who was elected to the position on 4 April 2020, following his victory in that year's leadership election. He has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the 2024 general election.

The position of leader was officially codified in the Labour Party's constitution in 1922. Before this, from when Labour MPs were first elected at the 1906 general election and the 1922 general election (the first election that saw substantial gains for the Labour Party), the position of leader was known as Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Following the 1970 general election, the positions of party leader and PLP chair were separated.

In 1921, J. R. Clynes became the first Leader of the Labour Party to have been born in England; all leaders before him had been born in Scotland. Following the 1924 general election, Ramsay MacDonald became the first party leader to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, leading a minority government which lasted nine months. Following the 1945 general election, Clement Attlee became the first leader to form a majority government. In 1983, Neil Kinnock became the first party leader to have been born in Wales. The only two party leaders not to have contest general elections (excluding acting leaders) are George Lansbury, who resigned, and John Smith, who died in office.

To date, the only leaders to have led the party to victory in general elections are Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson, Tony Blair and Keir Starmer. Out of the four, Blair was the most successful, winning three consecutive electoral victories in 1997, 2001 (both landslide victories), and 2005. Wilson won four general elections out of five contested, in 1964, 1966, February 1974 (forming a minority government) and October 1974. Attlee, the first leader to lead Labour to a majority in 1945, also won in 1950. Starmer, having been elected after a poor result in 2019, led Labour to a landslide victory in 2024. Both James Callaghan and Gordon Brown also served as prime minister, but did not win general elections.

When the Labour Party forms the Government of the United Kingdom, the leader is expected to serve as prime minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service, as well as appointing and chairing the Cabinet. Concordantly, when the party is in Opposition, the leader is expected to act as the Leader of the Opposition and to chair the Shadow Cabinet.

Selection process

The leader of the Labour Party, along with their deputy, is elected using an alternative vote system. Before 1980, the party leader was elected solely by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).

From 1980 to 2014 an electoral college was used to elect the leader, with a third of votes allocated to the party's MPs and MEPs, a third to individual members of the Labour Party, and a third to individual members of all affiliated organisations, including socialist societies and trade unions.

Beginning with the 2015 leadership election, the party now uses a "one member, one vote" system, in which the votes of MPs, party members and members of affiliated organisations are all weighted equally. While the votes of Labour MPs are no longer counted separately, leadership candidates must first receive the nomination of at least 20% of MPs in order to appear on the ballot.

The PLP does not have the equivalent of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee to call a binding vote of confidence for the party leader; Jeremy Corbyn did not resign despite 80% of Labour MPs voting against him. A potential challenger to the current leader would need the support of 20% of MPs to call an election to choose a replacement; the current leader would automatically be on the ballot unless deciding otherwise.

Leaders of the Labour Party (1906–present)

A list of leaders (including acting leaders) since 1906.

No.	Leader
(birth–death)	Constituency	Took office	Left office	Elections fought	Tenure	Prime Minister (term)	Campbell-Bannerman 1905–1908	Asquith 1908–1916	Lloyd George 1916–1922	Law 1922–1923	Baldwin 1923–1924	Baldwin 1924–1929	MacDonald 1931–1935	Baldwin 1935–1937	Chamberlain 1937–1940	Churchill 1940–1945	Churchill 1951–1955	Eden 1955–1957	Macmillan 1957–1963	Douglas-Home 1963–1964	Heath 1970–1974	Thatcher 1979–1990	Major 1990–1997	Cameron 2010–2016	May 2016–2019	Johnson 2019–2022	Truss Sep–Oct 2022	Sunak 2022–2024
1	Keir Hardie
(1856–1915)	[[File:Jameskeirhardie.jpg	60px]]	Merthyr Tydfil	17 January 1906	22 January 1908	[1906](1906-united-kingdom-general-election)	2 years, 5 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
2	Arthur Henderson
(1863–1935)
(1st time)	[[File:Arthur Henderson 1895.jpg	83x83px]]	Barnard Castle	22 January 1908	14 February 1910	Jan 1910	2 years, 24 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
3	George Barnes
(1859–1940)	[[File:George Nicoll Barnes in 1916.jpg	60px]]	Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown	14 February 1910	6 February 1911	Dec 1910	358 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
4	Ramsay MacDonald
(1866–1937)
(1st time)	[[File:Ramsay MacDonald ggbain.29588.jpg	60px]]	Leicester	6 February 1911	5 August 1914	―	3 years, 181 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
(2)	Arthur Henderson
(1863–1935)
(2nd time)	[[File:1910 Arthur Henderson.jpg	79x79px]]	Barnard Castle	5 August 1914	24 October 1917	―	3 years, 81 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
5	William Adamson
(1863–1936)	[[File:Cropped photograph of William Adamson.jpg	60px]]	West Fife	24 October 1917	14 February 1921	[1918](1918-united-kingdom-general-election)	3 years, 113 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
6	J. R. Clynes
(1869–1949)	[[File:J.R. Clynes LCCN2014717260 (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Manchester Platting	14 February 1921	21 November 1922	[1922](1922-united-kingdom-general-election)	1 year, 281 days	Liberal Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
(4)	Ramsay MacDonald
(1866–1937)
(2nd time)	[[File:J. Ramsay MacDonald LCCN2014715885 (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Aberavon	21 November 1922
([elected](1922-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	28 August 1931	[1923](1923-united-kingdom-general-election)	8 years, 280 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1924
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1929–1931
(2)	Arthur Henderson
(1863–1935)
(3rd time)	[[File:arthurhenderson.jpg	60px]]	Burnley
(1931)
None
([1931](1931-united-kingdom-general-election)–1932)	28 August 1931
([unopposed](1931-labour-party-leadership-election))	25 October 1932	[1931](1931-united-kingdom-general-election)	1 year, 59 days	National Labour Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
7	George Lansbury
(1859–1940)	[[File:George Lansbury MP.jpg	60px]]	Bow and Bromley	25 October 1932
([unopposed](1932-labour-party-leadership-election))	8 October 1935	―	2 years, 349 days
National Labour Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
8	Clement Attlee
(1883–1967)	[[File:Clement Attlee (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Limehouse
(1935–[1950](1950-united-kingdom-general-election))
Walthamstow West
(1950–1955)	25 October 1935
([elected](1935-labour-party-leadership-election))	7 December 1955	[1935](1935-united-kingdom-general-election)	20 years, 44 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1945–1951
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
―	Herbert Morrison
(1888–1965)(acting)	[[File:HerbertMorrison2.jpg	60px]]	Lewisham South	7 December 1955	14 December 1955	―	7 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
9	Hugh Gaitskell
(1906–1963)	[[File:Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell.jpg	60px]]	Leeds South	14 December 1955
([elected](1955-labour-party-leadership-election))	18 January 1963
(died in office)	[1959](1959-united-kingdom-general-election)	7 years, 36 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
―	George Brown
(1914–1985)(acting)	[[File:GeorgeBrown1967 (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Belper	18 January 1963	14 February 1963	―	28 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
10	Harold Wilson
(1916–1995)	[[File:Harold Wilson.jpg	center	60px]]	Huyton	14 February 1963
([elected](1963-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	5 April 1976	[1964](1964-united-kingdom-general-election)	13 years, 50 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1964–1970
Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1974–1976
11	James Callaghan
(1912–2005)	[[File:James Callaghan (1975).jpg	60px]]	Cardiff South East	5 April 1976
([elected](1976-labour-party-leadership-election))	10 November 1980	[1979](1979-united-kingdom-general-election)	4 years, 221 days	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1976–1979
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
12	Michael Foot
(1913–2010)	[[File:Michael Foot (1981).jpg	60px]]	Ebbw Vale	10 November 1980
([elected](1980-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	2 October 1983	[1983](1983-united-kingdom-general-election)	2 years, 327 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
13	Neil Kinnock
(b. 1942)	[[File:Official portrait of Neil Kinnock, Member of the EC (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Islwyn	2 October 1983
([elected](1983-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	18 July 1992	[1987](1987-united-kingdom-general-election)	8 years, 291 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
14	John Smith
(1938–1994)	[[File:John Smith in 1989.jpg	60px]]	Monklands East	18 July 1992
([elected](1992-labour-party-leadership-election))	12 May 1994
(died in office)	―	1 year, 299 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
―	Margaret Beckett
(b. 1943)
(acting)	[[File:Official portrait of Margaret Beckett as Environment Secretary (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Derby South	12 May 1994	21 July 1994	―	71 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
15	Tony Blair
(b. 1953)	[[File:Tony Blair 1997.jpg	60px]]	Sedgefield	21 July 1994
([elected](1994-labour-party-leadership-election))	24 June 2007	[1997](1997-united-kingdom-general-election)	12 years, 341 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 1997–2007
16	Gordon Brown
(b. 1951)	[[File:Gordon Brown official.jpg	60px]]	Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath	24 June 2007
([unopposed](2007-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	11 May 2010	[2010](2010-united-kingdom-general-election)	2 years, 319 days	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 2007–2010
―	Harriet Harman
(b. 1950)
(acting: 1st time)	[[File:Harriet Harman 2009 cropped.jpg	68x68px]]	Camberwell and Peckham	11 May 2010	25 September 2010	―	138 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
17	Ed Miliband
(b. 1969)	[[File:Ed Miliband election infobox.jpg	60px]]	Doncaster North	25 September 2010
([elected](2010-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	8 May 2015	[2015](2015-united-kingdom-general-election)	4 years, 226 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
―	Harriet Harman
(b. 1950)
(acting: 2nd time)	[[File:Harriet Harman MP at Salford International Media Festival 2014 (cropped).jpg	80x80px]]	Camberwell and Peckham	8 May 2015	12 September 2015	―	128 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
18	Jeremy Corbyn
(b. 1949)	[[File:Jeremy Corbyn election infobox 2.jpg	60px]]	Islington North	12 September 2015
([elected](2015-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	4 April 2020	[2017](2017-united-kingdom-general-election)	4 years, 206 days	Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
19	Sir Keir Starmer
(b. 1962)	[[File:Prime Minister Keir Starmer Portrait (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Holborn and St Pancras	4 April 2020
([elected](2020-labour-party-leadership-election-uk))	Incumbent	[2024](2024-united-kingdom-general-election)		Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 0 gray"
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Himself 2024–present

Timeline

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bar:8 width:15 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:10 from:03/01/1883 till:08/10/1967 shift:(-70,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Clement Attlee color:MP from:05/11/1922 till:26/12/1955 color:LEADER from:25/10/1935 till:07/12/1955 color:PM from:26/07/1945 till:26/10/1951

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bar:17 width:15 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:10 from:24/12/1969 till:$now shift:(-60,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Ed Miliband color:MP from:05/05/2005 till:$now color:LEADER from:25/09/2010 till:08/05/2015

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Leaders by time in office

This list ranks leaders of the Labour Party (not including acting leaders) by their time in office. Leaders that also served as Prime Minister are in bold.

Rank	No.	Leader	Time in office
1	8th	Clement Attlee	20 years, 44 days
2	10th	Harold Wilson	13 years, 50 days
3	15th	Tony Blair	12 years, 341 days
4	4th	Ramsay MacDonald	12 years, 96 days
5	13th	Neil Kinnock	8 years, 291 days
6	9th	Hugh Gaitskell	7 years, 36 days
7	2nd	Arthur Henderson	6 years, 164 days
8	19th	Keir Starmer
9	17th	Ed Miliband	4 years, 226 days
10	11th	James Callaghan	4 years, 221 days
11	18th	Jeremy Corbyn	4 years, 206 days
12	5th	William Adamson	3 years, 113 days
13	7th	George Lansbury	2 years, 349 days
14	12th	Michael Foot	2 years, 327 days
15	16th	Gordon Brown	2 years, 319 days
16	1st	Keir Hardie	2 years, 5 days
17	14th	John Smith	1 year, 299 days
18	6th	J. R. Clynes	1 year, 281 days
19	3rd	George Barnes	358 days

Leaders in the House of Lords

Main article: Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Lords

Retirement

It is not uncommon for a retired leader of the Labour Party to be granted a peerage upon their retirement, particularly if they served as prime minister; examples of this include Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. However, Neil Kinnock was also elevated to the House of Lords, despite never being prime minister, and Michael Foot declined a similar offer.

Notes

References

Thorpe, Andrew. (2001) ''A History of the British Labour Party'', Palgrave, {{ISBN. 0-333-92908-X
Leeds de Melo, J (2003), Primary elections and party conferences — Democracy in political parties: UK, France, Germany and Italy, Routledge, 202 p.
(25 September 2021). "Labour NEC passes 20% MP nomination threshold for leadership contests".
Crerar, Pippa. (September 13, 2025). "Can Keir survive? Inside the plot to bring down the prime minister". The Guardian.
Boothroyd, David. "Leaders of the Labour Party". United Kingdom Election Results.
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds. (2010). "Attlee: A Life in Politics". I B Tauris.

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