Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, 2015 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, 2015 |
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| Candidate | Jeremy Corbyn MP |
| Status | Announced: 3 June 2015 Nominated: 15 June 2015 Elected: 12 September 2015 |
| Headquarters | Walkden House, 10 Melton St, Kings Cross, Camden, London, NW1 2EJ |
| Key people |
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| Slogan | Straight Talking, Honest Politics |
| Chant | "Jez We Can" |
In 2015, Jeremy Corbyn ran to become the leader of the Labour Party in the UK. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North. His campaign aimed to make him the new leader.
Corbyn announced his campaign in an article on June 3, 2015. He promised to support the anti-austerity movement. This movement wanted the government to spend more money, not less. He also wanted to give regular Labour Party members more say.
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Jeremy Corbyn's Leadership Campaign
Starting the Campaign
When Jeremy Corbyn first announced his plan, many people saw him as an "outsider." This meant he was not expected to win. Bookmakers, who guess the odds of things happening, said he had a very low chance. They put his odds at 200 to 1.
However, Corbyn took part in many TV and radio debates. He debated with the other three candidates: Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, and Liz Kendall. After these debates, he started to gain a lot of support.
Growing Support
Corbyn won the support of six out of fourteen trade unions. These unions are large groups of workers. They included the UK's two biggest unions, Unite and UNISON. He also got the most support from local Labour Party groups. By the end of July, over 100 local groups had nominated him.
Many well-known people also supported Corbyn. These included politicians like Ken Livingstone and Bernie Sanders. Famous actors like Emma Thompson and Daniel Radcliffe also showed their support. Even important thinkers like Joseph Stiglitz backed him.
Winning the Election
Getting Enough Nominations
To become a candidate, Corbyn needed 35 nominations from other Labour MPs. Many people in the media thought he would struggle to get enough. But at the very last minute, he managed to get 36 nominations.
About 12 of the MPs who nominated him actually supported other candidates. They "lent" him their support. This was to make sure there were enough candidates in the race. Corbyn reportedly said, "We had two minutes to spare, it was easy."
The Final Result
On September 12, 2015, a special meeting was held. It took place at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. At this meeting, Jeremy Corbyn was announced as the new Leader of the Labour Party.
He won with a large number of votes. He received 59.5% of the first-preference votes. This meant he was the clear winner of the election.
Images for kids
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A Corbyn rally at Nottingham Albert Hall
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Corbyn speaking at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally in 2015
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