Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet took place in July 1996. Under the rules then in effect, the Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected 19 members of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, who were then assigned portfolios by the leader. The Labour peers elected the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. In addition, the Leader of the Labour Party and Deputy Leader (Tony Blair and John Prescott, respectively) were members by virtue of those offices. The 19 elected members of the Shadow Cabinet were the ones with the largest number of votes. MPs were required to vote for at least four women, but women were not necessarily guaranteed places in the Shadow Cabinet.
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasises greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights.
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body. Commentators on the British Constitution sometimes draw a distinction between the Labour Party and the Conservative and Liberal parties. The term Parliamentary Labour Party refers to the party in Parliament, whereas the term Labour Party refers to the entire Labour Party, the parliamentary element of which is the PLP.
The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet is, in British parliamentary practice, senior members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who scrutinise their corresponding Government ministers, develop alternative policies, and hold the Government to account for its actions and responses. Since May 2010, the Labour Party has been Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, and its leadership therefore forms the current Shadow Cabinet.
Colour key | Retained in the Shadow Cabinet |
---|---|
Joined the Shadow Cabinet | |
Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet |
Rank | Candidate | Constituency | Votes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Margaret Beckett | Derby South | 251 |
2 | Ann Taylor | Dewsbury | 250 |
3 | Clare Short | Birmingham Ladywood | 218 |
4 | Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | 217 |
5 | Robin Cook | Livingston | 215 |
6 | Donald Dewar | Glasgow Garscadden | 212 |
7 | Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | 211 |
8 | Mo Mowlam | Redcar | 206 |
9† | David Clark | South Shields | 205 |
9† | Michael Meacher | Oldham West | 205 |
11 | Ron Davies | Caerphilly | 201 |
12 | Jack Cunningham | Copeland | 190 |
13 | Jack Straw | Blackburn | 189 |
14† | Gordon Brown | Dunfermline East | 188 |
14† | Chris Smith | Islington South and Finsbury | 148 |
16 | George Robertson | Hamilton | 182 |
17† | David Blunkett | Sheffield Brightside | 175 |
17† | Tom Clarke | Monklands West | 175 |
19 | Harriet Harman | Peckham | 149 |
20 | Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | 94 |
21† | Lynne Jones | Birmingham Selly Oak | 66 |
21† | Chris Mullin | Sunderland South | 66 |
23 | Paul Flynn | Newport West | 61 |
24 | Tony Banks | Newham North West | 47 |
25 | Dennis Canavan | Falkirk West | 42 |
26 | Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | 37 |
† Multiple candidates tied for position.
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