Topic summary
1963 Labour Party leadership election (UK)

Pre-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
First term
- Cabinet
- Circular 10/65
- Capital gains tax
- Abolition of death penalty
- Decimalisation announcement
- 1966 general election
Second term
- Cabinet
- Decriminalisation of homosexuality
- Abortion Act 1967
- Theatres Act 1968
- Race Relations Act 1968
- Open University
- Divorce Reform Act 1969
- Operation Banner
- 1970 general election
Third and fourth terms
The 1963 Labour Party leadership election was held following the death of Hugh Gaitskell, party leader since 1955. He died on 18 January 1963 and was succeeded (on a temporary basis) by 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.