Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain

Last updated
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
Leader Tom Keen
Founded1974
Dissolvedc. 1982
HeadquartersManchester
Ideology Anti-labourism

The Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain was a political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded prior to the February 1974 general election by Tom Keen and Harold Smith, both business owners in Manchester.

Contents

Keen was the party's leader. He had become a millionaire through property development, and before forming the campaign. The party called for voters not to vote for its candidates, but for tactical voting to defeat the Labour Party; it distributed anti-Labour literature. Despite this, some of its candidacies received hundreds of votes, with Keen's candidacy in Portsmouth North at the October 1974 general election attracting 1.0% of all the votes cast. [1]

The party first came to public attention when members plastered the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress with anti-union posters. [2] It was also strongly opposed to the Communist Party of Great Britain. [3]

Smith stood against Labour Party leader Harold Wilson at the February 1974 general election, taking 234 votes. [1] At the October general election, Keen and Smith set a new record by standing simultaneously in eleven and twelve constituencies, respectively. [4] With two associates who stood in a single constituency each, the campaign stood in a total of 25 seats, receiving 4,301 votes. [3] Each constituency was a marginal seat held by the Labour Party, but Labour held each seat at the election. [5]

Keen stood for the party again in the 1979 general election and several by-elections. However, the party was apparently dissolved in the early 1980s, Keen standing in five Labour seats at the 1983 general election as an independent. [1]

Results

February 1974 general election

ConstituencyCandidateVotes [1] PercentagePositionResult
Huyton Harold Smith2340.44 Labour hold

October 1974 general election

ConstituencyCandidateVotes [3] PercentagePositionResult
Aldridge-Brownhills Tom Keen2100.44 Labour hold
Battersea South Tom Keen1700.64 Labour hold
Birmingham Handsworth Tom Keen1050.34 Labour hold
Birmingham Perry Barr Tom Keen860.25 Labour hold
Birmingham Yardley Tom Keen1110.25 Labour hold
Bolton East Harold Smith1490.35 Labour hold
Bradford West Harold Smith3390.84 Labour hold
Chorley Harold Smith1850.34 Labour hold
Coventry South West Tom Keen1440.35 Labour hold
Derby North Harold Smith2420.44 Labour hold
Glasgow Govan T. Clyde270.16 Labour hold
Gravesend Tom Keen2390.45 Labour hold
Huddersfield West Harold Smith1360.35 Labour hold
Ilford South Tom Keen1690.44 Labour hold
Keighley Charles William Deakin1790.45 Labour hold
Loughborough Harold Smith1250.25 Labour hold
Manchester Moss Side Harold Smith960.35 Labour hold
Middleton and Prestwich Harold Smith2340.44 Labour hold
Portsmouth North Tom Keen5271.04 Labour hold
Preston North Harold Smith1380.34 Labour hold
Preston South Harold Smith870.25 Labour hold
Putney Tom Keen1250.34 Labour hold
Sowerby Harold Smith1570.44 Labour hold
Walsall South Tom Keen1500.45 Labour hold
York Harold Smith3040.54 Labour hold

By-elections, 1974–1979

ElectionCandidateVotesPercentagePositionResult
1976 Coventry North West Tom Keen400.16 Labour hold

1979 general election

ConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePositionResult
Bristol North West Tom Keen730.15 Conservative gain
Bristol South East Tom Keen660.15 Labour hold
Colne Valley Tom Keen1010.24 Liberal hold
Coventry North West Tom Keen980.34 Labour hold
Coventry South West Tom Keen1440.35 Conservative gain
Huddersfield West Tom Keen1010.24 Conservative gain

By-elections, 1979–1983

ElectionCandidateVotesPercentagePositionResult
1981 Warrington Tom Keen100.011 Labour hold
1982 Beaconsfield Tom Keen510.16 Conservative hold

At Beaconsfield, Keen stood under the description "Benn in 10 unless Proportional Representation".

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 David Boothroyd, Politico's guide to the history of British political parties, p. 28.
  2. Institute for the Study of Conflict, Sources of conflict in British industry, p. 34.
  3. 1 2 3 F. W. S. Craig, Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885–1974, p. 128.
  4. Peter Barberis et al, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, p. 320.
  5. Labour Party, Conference (vol. 74), p. 27.