1979 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election information
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
^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.
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