Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election, 1983

Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election

2 October 1983

Candidate Roy Hattersley Michael Meacher Affiliated 35.266% 4.734% Constituency 15.313% 14.350% Parliamentary 16.716% 8.806% Total 67.296% 27.890%   Candidate Denzil Davies Gwyneth Dunwoody Affiliated 0.000% 0.000% Constituency 0.241% 0.096% Parliamentary 3.284% 1.194% Total 3.524% 1.290%

Deputy Leader before election Denis Healey Elected Deputy Leader Roy Hattersley

A Labour party deputy leadership election took place on 2 October 1983 to replace incumbent Deputy Leader Denis Healey. Healey had served in the position since 1980, becoming deputy leader at the same time that Michael Foot became party leader. Foot and Healey had both announced their resignations after the general election on 9 June 1983, in which a disastrous performance left the Labour Party with just 209 seats in parliament.

The election was conducted using the Labour party's electoral college. It was won by Roy Hattersley, who won more than two-thirds of the votes. On the same day, Neil Kinnock won the leadership challenge.

Candidates

• Denzil Davies, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Member of Parliament for Llanelli
• Gwyneth Dunwoody, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich
• Roy Hattersley, Shadow Home Secretary, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook
• Michael Meacher, Former Under-Secretary of State for Trade, Member of Parliament for Oldham West

Result

	Candidate	Affiliated	Constituency	Parliamentary	Total (%)
	Roy Hattersley	35.266	15.313	16.716	67.296
	Michael Meacher	4.734	14.350	8.806	27.890
	Denzil Davies	0.000	0.241	3.284	3.524
	Gwyneth Dunwoody	0.000	0.096	1.194	1.290
Roy Hattersley elected

References

• Butler, David & Butler, Gareth (2006). British political facts since 1979 (p. 55). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-0372-3