Labour Party votes to re-allow MPs to contest deputy leadership

Labour Party delegates have voted in favour of a change in statute that will allow MPs and MEPs to contest the role of deputy leader for party affairs.

Party officials said delegates voted "overwhelmingly in favour" of the statute change that will now pave the way for the party's deputy leadership election in September.

The vote was taken at an extraordinary general conference called by the party executive earlier this week.

Previously, the Labour Party statute barred MPs and MEPs from contesting the post, which is focused on matters related to the party and its inner workings. 

There are two deputy leadership roles within the Labour Party: party affairs and parliamentary affairs. The role of deputy leader parliamentary affairs is reserved for MPs and the person occupying the role automatically becomes deputy prime minister if the Labour Party is in government. 

The current limitation on MPs to contest the party affairs post was the result of an amendment pushed by PL leader Robert Abela in 2020 that reversed a change promoted by his predecessor Joseph Muscat in 2016. Muscat had pushed for a change in statute because he wanted then minister Konrad Mizzi to occupy the post.

The Labour Party elects its two deputy leaders on 13 September after Chris Fearne (deputy leader parliamentary affairs) and Daniel Micallef (deputy leader party affairs) announced they will step down from their respective roles.

Fearne’s replacement is very likely to be Foreign Minister Ian Borg, who enjoys widespread support and is unlikely to be contested.

However, the race of the post vacated by Daniel Micallef has attracted a lot of attention.

Abela backtracked on his previous stand from 2020 after former secretary general Jason Micallef decided to contest for deputy leader party affairs.

Abela, who deemed Micallef to be a divisive character, wanted someone of stature to take him on and tried to push for a statute change that would have allowed MPs to contest.