1971 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election

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Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in December 1971. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (Harold Wilson), Deputy Leader (Roy Jenkins), Labour Chief Whip (Bob Mellish), Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (Douglas Houghton), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (Baron Shackleton), and Labour Chief Whip in the Lords (Baron Beswick) were automatically members. The Labour Lords elected one further member, Baron Champion. [1]

Lever and Thomson both resigned in April 1972, and were replaced by Prentice and Silkin, the first two unsuccessful candidates. Jenkins resigned as deputy leader in the same month, and was replaced by Edward Short. This created an additional vacancy, and because the next two unsuccessful candidates had tied on votes, a run-off election was held to decide who would join the shadow cabinet. On 3 May, Barbara Castle defeated Eric Heffer by 111 votes to 89, to take the position. [1]

The 12 winners of the election are listed below: [1]

Colour
key
Retained in the Shadow Cabinet
Joined the Shadow Cabinet
Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet
Rank
Prior
rank
Candidate
Constituency
Votes
19 Edward Short Newcastle upon Tyne Central 145
26 Michael Foot Ebbw Vale 144
37 Shirley Williams Hitchin 137
41 James Callaghan Cardiff South East 134
513 Willie Ross Kilmarnock 133
610 Fred Peart Workington 130
78 Harold Lever Manchester Cheetham 129
83 Anthony Crosland Great Grimsby 128
911 George Thomson Dundee East 126
105 Tony Benn Bristol South East 122
1131 Peter Shore Stepney 105
122 Denis Healey Leeds East 104
1315 Reg Prentice Daventry 95
1422 John Silkin Deptford 94
15=12 Barbara Castle Blackburn 91
15=14 Eric Heffer Liverpool Walton 91
1720 Cledwyn Hughes Anglesey 81
1829 Bill Rodgers Stockton-on-Tees 80
1933 Dickson Mabon Greenock 79
2024 Roy Mason Barnsley 78
2123 Douglas Jay Battersea North 72
2221 Willie Hamilton West Fife 64
2319 Ian Mikardo Poplar 63
2432 Stan Orme Salford West 56
2526 Merlyn Rees Leeds South 54
2628 George Thomas Cardiff West 51
2725 Joan Lestor Eton and Slough 42
28N/A Raymond Fletcher Ilkeston 37
2945 Judith Hart Lanark 19
30N/A Reg Freeson Willesden East 17
31N/A William Hamling Woolwich West 16
3248 William Molloy Ealing North 7
3351 John Stonehouse Wednesbury 6

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Parliamentary Labour Party". The Political Companion (11): 68–69. April–June 1972.