The New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1920 was held on 24 June 1920 to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Buller MP

Harry Holland Henry Edmund Holland (10 June 1868 – 8 October 1933) was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the second leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Early life Holland was born at G ...

, retaining office.

Background

After the 1919 election, former Labour Party President

James McCombs James (Jimmy) McCombs (9 December 1873 – 2 August 1933) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton. Biography Early life and career McCombs was born in Treanmore, Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, the elder child of George McCombs, ...

who had narrowly lost the previous

leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a l ...

decided to launch a fresh attempt at the leadership. There was a certain level of underlying personal animosity between the two, both remaining bitter over McCombs' resignation from the Labour Party in 1917 over the liquor question. This is thought to be a contributing factor to McCombs' attempts to dethrone Holland.

Candidates

Harry Holland

Holland had won Labour's leadership the previous year (also opposed by McCombs) and had led them in to the 1919 election where they gained several seats and captured a quarter of the popular vote, though this only equated to an extra three seats in Parliament.

James McCombs

McCombs was the leader of the Labour Party's moderate faction and continued his agitation against Holland's leadership which he and others thought to be too autocratic. His main supporters in caucus in his plight were fellow

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

MPs Dan Sullivan and Ted Howard.

Result

The election was conducted through a members' ballot by Labour's parliamentary caucus. Holland secured five votes to McCombs' three.

Leadership ballot

Aftermath

Harry Holland continued to lead the Labour Party, and would until his death in 1933. McCombs and Sullivan continued to agitate against Holland's claim to the leadership for the next few years.

Notes

References

* * {{New Zealand Labour Party Labour Party leadership 1920 Indirect elections New Zealand Labour Party leadership election