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The 1972 Labour Party deputy leadership election took place in April 1972 after Roy Jenkins resigned as deputy leader over the decision to hold a referendum on Britain's entry into the Common Market. [1]
Edward Short, formerly Education Secretary in the government of Harold Wilson, was regarded as a "unity" candidate, [2] and won the election over his main rival, the left-winger Michael Foot, who had unsuccessfully stood for the deputy leadership in 1970 and 1971.
| First ballot: 20 April 1972 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Edward Short | 111 | 39.4 | |
| Michael Foot | 110 | 39.0 | |
| Anthony Crosland | 61 | 21.6 | |
| Second ballot required | |||
As a result of the first round, Crosland was eliminated. The remaining two candidates would face each other in a second round. The next day's The Glasgow Herald reported that both Short and Crosland attracted more votes than had been expected and that Short was the favourite to pick up most of Crosland's votes. [3]
| Second ballot: 25 April 1972 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Edward Short | 145 | 55.6 | |
| Michael Foot | 116 | 44.4 | |
| Edward Short elected | |||
Reporting on the result, The Glasgow Herald's political correspondent John Warden stated that Short was "reckoned to be the least divisive of the three candidates for the post". The same report noted that Short called for "unity and toleration in the Labour Party" in the wake of his victory. [4] An editorial in the same newspaper argued the result was a foregone conclusion after the first ballot, but warned that be settling for a compromise candidate "Labour may not have solved their difficulties". [5]
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