Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)

Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Incumbent Rt Hon. Harriet Harman MP since 24 June 2007
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	Labour Party
Inaugural holder	John Robert Clynes
Formation	1922
Website	Harriet Harman MP Labour Deputy Leader

The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is a senior politician in the British Labour Party. The post is currently held by Harriet Harman, who was elected deputy on 24 June 2007

Unlike other political party leaders, the Labour leader does not have the power to appoint or dismiss his or her deputy. The post is instead elected using the party's electoral college system; it was elected by Labour MPs before 1981.

Recently, the office of Deputy Prime Minister has been revived and held by senior politicians in the governing party. The previous Labour Deputy Leader, John Prescott, held this post from 1997 to 2007. However, the Deputy Leader is essentially a party official and there is no constitutional link between the two roles. The former Labour British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced on his formal election as Labour leader that the newly elected deputy leader, Harriet Harman, would instead become Party Chair. Brown subsequently appointed her Leader of the House of Commons in his first Cabinet.

List of Deputy Leaders of the Labour Party

		Portrait	Term began	Term ended	Born	Death	Office
1	John Robert Clynes		1922	1932	27 March 1869	23 October 1949	Home Secretary
2	William Graham (jointly with John Robert Clynes)		1931	1932	29 July 1887	8 January 1932	President of the Board of Trade
3	Clement Attlee		1932	1935	3 January 1883	8 October 1967	None
4	Arthur Greenwood		1935	1945	8 February 1880	9 June 1954	Minister without portfolio
5	Herbert Morrison		1945	1955	3 January 1888	6 March 1965	Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Leader of the House of Commons
6	Jim Griffiths		1955	1959	19 September 1890	7 August 1975	None
7	Aneurin Bevan		1959	6 July 1960 Died in office	15 November 1897	6 July 1960	None
8	George Brown		1960	18 June 1970 Lost seat	2 September 1914	2 June 1985	First Secretary of State Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
9	Roy Jenkins		19 June 1970	7 April 1972	11 November 1920	5 January 2003	Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
10	Edward Short		April 1972	1976	17 December 1912	—	Leader of the House of Commons
11	Michael Foot		1976	4 November 1980 Elected Leader	23 July 1913	3 March 2010	Leader of the House of Commons
12	Denis Healey		4 November 1980	2 October 1983	30 August 1917	—	Shadow Foreign Secretary
13	Roy Hattersley		2 October 1983	18 July 1992	28 December 1932	—	Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Shadow Home Secretary
14	Margaret Beckett		18 July 1992	21 July 1994	15 January 1943	—	Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
15	John Prescott		21 July 1994	24 June 2007	31 May 1938	—	Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom First Secretary of State Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
16	Harriet Harman		24 June 2007	Present	30 July 1950	—	Leader of the House of Commons Minister for Women and Equalities Labour Party Chair Shadow International Development Secretary