History of the Labour Party (UK) 1983 election, Labour suffered a landslide defeat, winning only 27.6% of the vote and securing just 209 seats. This was their worst performance at a general election since 1918. Labour won only half a million votes more than the SDP-Liberal Alliance, which had attracted the votes of many moderate Labour supporters, although the Alliance only won 23 seats. Michael Foot criticised the Alliance for "siphoning" Labour support and allowing the Tories to win more seats. Michael Foot resigned and was replaced as leader by Neil Kinnock who was elected on 2 October 1983 and progressively moved the party towards the
Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party there must be a caucus vote to endorse the Leader; if the Leader fails to receive endorsement then an election is triggered. When the Labour Party forms the Parliamentary Opposition, the Leader of the Party usually acts as the Leader of the Opposition, and chairs a Shadow Cabinet. Concordantly, when the party is in Government, as it currently is, the Leader generally becomes the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Unique to Labour, the party's caucus possesses the right to elect MPs to Cabinet, rather than the Leader choosing them. The practice began following the 1940 leadership election. Michael Joseph Savage