1971 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election

1971 UK election April 2022 February 2026 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.Parliamentary Labour Party The Political Companion April–June 1972 11 68–69 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. The 12 winners of the election are listed below: Colourkey Retained in the Shadow Cabinet Joined the Shadow Cabinet Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet Rank Priorrank 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 James 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 Dickson 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 Reg 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 1971 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election Labour Party (UK) Shadow Cabinet election