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
1 9 Edward Short Newcastle upon Tyne Central 145
2 6 Michael Foot Ebbw Vale 144
3 7 Shirley Williams Hitchin 137
4 1 Jim Callaghan Cardiff South East 134
5 13 Willie Ross Kilmarnock 133
6 10 Fred Peart Workington 130
7 8 Harold Lever Manchester Cheetham 129
8 3 Anthony Crosland Great Grimsby 128
9 11 George Thomson Dundee East 126
10 5 Tony Benn Bristol South East 122
11 31 Peter Shore Stepney 105
12 2 Denis Healey Leeds East 104
13 15 Reg Prentice Daventry 95
14 22 John Silkin Deptford 94
15= 12 Barbara Castle Blackburn 91
15= 14 Eric Heffer Liverpool Walton 91
17 20 Cledwyn Hughes Anglesey 81
18 29 Bill Rodgers Stockton-on-Tees 80
19 33 Dick Mabon Greenock 79
20 24 Roy Mason Barnsley 78
21 23 Douglas Jay Battersea North 72
22 21 Willie Hamilton West Fife 64
23 19 Ian Mikardo Poplar 63
24 32 Stan Orme Salford West 56
25 26 Merlyn Rees Leeds South 54
26 28 George Thomas Cardiff West 51
27 25 Joan Lestor Eton and Slough 42
28 N/A Raymond Fletcher Ilkeston 37
29 45 Judith Hart Lanark 19
30 N/A Reginald Freeson Willesden East 17
31 N/A William Hamling Woolwich West 16
32 48 William Molloy Ealing North 7
33 51 John Stonehouse Wednesbury 6

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Parliamentary Labour Party". The Political Companion (11): 68–69. April–June 1972.
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