Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred on 14 June 1979, following the Party's fall from power at the May general election that year. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (James Callaghan), Deputy Leader (Michael Foot), Labour Chief Whip (Michael Cocks), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (Lord Peart), and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (Fred Willey) were automatically members.
Tony Benn, who had been Secretary of State for Energy in the outgoing Callaghan ministry did not seek election to the Shadow Cabinet as he opted to return to the back benches "for the time being".[1]
The 12 winners of the election are listed below:[2]
Rank | Candidate | Constituency | Votes |
1 | Denis Healey | Leeds East | 153 |
2 | John Silkin | Lewisham Deptford | 148 |
3 | Peter Shore | Stepney and Poplar | 136 |
4 | Roy Hattersley | Birmingham Sparkbrook | 133 |
5 | Eric Varley | Chesterfield | 129 |
6 | Stan Orme | Salford West | 128 |
7 | Albert Booth | Barrow and Furness | 122 |
8 | Bill Rodgers | Stockton-on-Tees | 112 |
9 | Merlyn Rees | Leeds South | 110 |
10 | David Owen | Plymouth Devonport | 101 |
11 | Roy Mason | Barnsley | 98 |
12 | John Smith | North Lanarkshire | 88 |
References
- ^ Parkhouse, Geoffrey (11 May 1979). "Benn goes it alone in gamble for power". The Glasgow Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Geoffrey Parkhouse (15 June 1979). "Shore steps up as Owen is demoted". The Glasgow Herald. p. 1.
Labour Party
History |
---|
Main | - History of the Labour Party
|
---|
Topics | |
---|
|
|
Leadership |
---|
Leaders | |
---|
Deputy Leaders | |
---|
General Secretaries | |
---|
Treasurers | |
---|
Leaders in the Lords | |
---|
Scottish Labour Leaders | |
---|
PLP Chairs | |
---|
EPLP Leaders | |
---|
* = wartime, in opposition ^ Interim/Acting |
|
|
Internal elections and selections |
---|
Leadership elections | |
---|
Deputy Leadership elections | |
---|
Shadow Cabinet elections and reshuffles | |
---|
|
|
Party structure |
---|
Constitution | |
---|
Executive | |
---|
Parliamentary | |
---|
Conference | |
---|
Subnational | |
---|
Directly elected city mayoral authorities | |
---|
CLPs | |
---|
Miscellaneous | |
---|
|
|
Associated organisations |
---|
List | - Organisations associated with the Labour Party
|
---|
Sectional groups | |
---|
Factional groups | |
---|
Media publications | |
---|
|
|
|
John Smith |
---|
Politics | |
---|
Shadow Cabinet elections | - 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
|
---|
Party elections | |
---|
Family | |
---|
Related topics | |
---|