Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1963

Labour Party (UK) leadership election

← 1961 7–14 February 1963 1976 →
Candidate Harold Wilson George Brown James Callaghan 1st Ballot 115 88 41 Percentage 47.1% 36.1% 16.8% Final Ballot 144 103 Eliminated Percentage 58.3% 41.7% Eliminated
Leader before election George Brown (pro tempore) Elected Leader Harold Wilson

George Brown (pro tempore)

Harold Wilson

The British Labour Party leadership election of 1963 was held following the death of Hugh Gaitskell, the party leader since 1955. He had died on 18 January 1963 and was succeeded (on a temporary basis) by the deputy leader George Brown.

In 1963 the Labour leader was elected by the Parliamentary Labour Party (the members of the House of Commons in receipt of the Labour whip). To be elected the winning candidate required more than half the votes. If no candidate was elected in a ballot then the last placed candidate was eliminated and a new ballot held contested by the continuing candidates. This process, known as the exhaustive ballot, was repeated until a candidate was elected.

Three candidates were nominated.

An overall majority was required for election. The results of the ballots of Labour MPs were as follows:

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