The potential of a Labour leadership contest has dominated the headlines this week. But if it was to happen, what does it actually entail and how does it work?
At the beginning of the week, some MPs were coming out saying they are no longer backing Sir Keir Starmer. That number has now reached around 90.
This figure includes the three Labour MPs for Gloucestershire: Simon Opher for Stroud, Matt Bishop for the Forest of Dean, and Alex McIntintyre for Gloucester.
However in order for a leadership contest to go into motion, there would need to be 81 MPs (20% of the Parliamentary Labour Party) to back a single potential candidate.
At present, it doesn’t seem like that is the case.
Once one candidate receives 81 backings, other candidates can also join the contest, as long as they get 81 supporters too.
If a contest does occur, as serving leader, Keir Starmer automatically gets entered into the ballot. As leader, he does not need to find any nominations in order to defend his position.
All the eligible candidates are then entered into the ballot. All Labour party members and affiliate members are then able to vote using a postal ballot. Instead of only voting for one single candidate, the voters will put them in order of preference.
In order to win, a candidate needs 50% of the vote. If this does not happen straight away, the lower scoring candidates are eliminated from the running. Their supporters preferences are then redistributed until one candidate receives over 50%.
There is another way for a leadership contest can be triggered, and currently, this is the less likely option: Sir Keir Starmer resigns.
If he chooses to resign with immediate effect, then another party member will replace him in a caretaker capacity. Right now, there is no sign of this and it was announced that he currently has no intention of going anywhere. He stated that a change of leadership would “plunge the country into chaos.”
