Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2016

The British Labour Party leadership election of 2016 was called when a

challenge to Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party arose following

criticism of his allegedly weak support for the Remain campaign in the

referendum on membership of the European Union.[1]

After a period of tension over Corbyn's leadership, the immediate trigger to

events was the Leave result of the referendum. Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign

Secretary, was sacked by Corbyn on 25 June after Benn expressed no confidence

in him.[2] More than two dozen members of the Shadow Cabinet resigned over the

following two days,[3] and a no-confidence vote was supported by 172 MPs in the

Parliamentary Labour Party, against 40 supporting Corbyn.[4] It was reported

that Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader, told Corbyn that he would face a challenge

to his position as leader.[5] Corbyn stated that he would not resign.[6]

By the end of June, Angela Eagle and Owen Smith were being promoted as

intending to contest the leadership. Eagle announced her candidacy on 11 July,

[7][8] and Smith did likewise on 13 July.[9] The National Executive Committee

decided that, as the incumbent, Corbyn would be automatically included on the

ballot without requiring nominations from the parliamentary party;[10] some

political analysts had previously predicted that Corbyn would struggle to

obtain the requisite number of signatures had that been required.[11]

Eagle pulled out of the race on 19 July, leaving Smith to challenge Corbyn for

the leadership in a head-to-head race;[12] Eagle said that she would back Smith

after she had attracted fewer nominations. Smith told the BBC that Eagle was a

"star" and that she would be "at [his] right hand" if he won the leadership.

[13][14]

The result was announced on 24 September 2016. Jeremy Corbyn won the election

with 313,209 votes, increasing his share of the vote from 59.5% to 61.8%

compared with the result of the 2015 leadership election, and receiving some

62,000 more votes than in 2015.