1970 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election

1970 UK election April 2022 February 2026 Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in July 1970, following the party's defeat in the 1970 general election. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (Harold Wilson), Deputy Leader (Roy Jenkins), Labour Chief Whip (Bob Mellish), 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.Parliamentary Labour Party The Political Companion July–September 1971 8 64–65 The Chair of the Labour Party was elected at the same time as the Shadow Cabinet, and was given a further automatic place in the cabinet. The post was won by Douglas Houghton, who also won one of the twelve places in the Shadow Cabinet election. Ross, who had taken thirteenth place in the Shadow Cabinet election, was given the spare position. The 12 winners of the election are listed below: Colourkey Member of Cabinet when Labour Party lost office following 1970 election Rank Candidate Constituency Votes 1 James Callaghan Cardiff South East 178 2 Denis Healey Leeds East 165 3 Anthony Crosland Great Grimsby 157 4 Douglas Houghton Sowerby 150 5 Tony Benn Bristol South East 133 6 Michael Foot Ebbw Vale 124 7 Shirley Williams Hitchin 122 8 Harold Lever Manchester Cheetham 115 9 Edward Short Newcastle upon Tyne Central 114 10 Fred Peart Workington 110 11 George Thomson Dundee East 107 12 Barbara Castle Blackburn 98 13 Willie Ross Kilmarnock 93 14 Eric Heffer Liverpool Walton 78 15 Reg Prentice Daventry 76 16= Richard Marsh Greenwich 69 16= Elwyn Jones West Ham South 69 18 Michael Stewart Fulham 66 19 Ian Mikardo Poplar 61 20 Cledwyn Hughes Anglesey 57 21 Willie Hamilton West Fife 56 22 John Silkin Deptford 54 23 Douglas Jay Battersea North 53 24 Roy Mason Barnsley 52 25 Joan Lestor Eton and Slough 48 26 Merlyn Rees Leeds South 44 27 Roy Hattersley Birmingham Sparkbrook 43 28= George Thomas Cardiff West 42 28= Bill Rodgers Stockton-on-Tees 42 30 Dick Taverne Lincoln 40 31 Peter Shore Stepney 39 32 Stan Orme Salford West 38 33 Dickson Mabon Greenock 37 34= Frank Judd Portsmouth West 36 34= Tom Driberg Barking 36 36 Alf Morris Manchester Wythenshawe 35 37 John Mendelson Penistone 34 38= Robert Sheldon Ashton under Lyne 33 38= Hugh Brown Glasgow Provan 33 40 Fred Mulley Sheffield Park 31 41 Joel Barnett Heywood and Royton 28 42 Denis Howell Birmingham Small Heath 27 43 Joyce Butler Wood Green 26 44= Harold Walker Doncaster 24 44= Judith Hart Lanark 24 45 Lena Jeger Holborn and St Pancras South 23 46 Alex Lyon York 21 48= William Molloy Ealing North 20 48= Thomas Urwin Houghton-le-Spring 20 50 Arthur Blenkinsop South Shields 19 51 John Stonehouse Wednesbury 14 52 Samuel Silkin Dulwich 10 References 1970 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election Labour Party (UK) Shadow Cabinet election