Bob Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Richard Charles Mitchell, (22 August 1927 - 18 September 2003), known as Bob Mitchell, was a Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) in the United Kingdom
. He represented Southampton Test for Labour from 1966 to 1970, and Southampton Itchen for Labour and then the Social Democratic Party
from 1981 to 1983.
Mitchell was born in Southampton
on 22 August 1927. He attended Taunton's Grammar School as a youth and graduated from the University of Southampton
with a degree in Economics. He taught mathematics and science at several schools before eventually finding a position as Senior Master and Head of the Mathematics and Science Department of Bartley County Secondary School, becoming Deputy Head in 1965. He also was an active member of the National Union of Teachers
.
Mitchell also became active in Labour party politics, becoming a member of the Southampton borough council in 1955 and contested the safe Conservative seat of New Forest
in the 1959 general election
. In the 1964 general election
, Mitchell contested Southampton Test, which he lost by a mere 348 votes. However, upon contesting the seat again in the 1966 general election
, Mitchell won the seat by over 2,000 votes, propelled by the momentum of the Labour landslide in that election. However, his hold on Southampton Test would prove to be tenuous. In the Conservative
victory in the 1970 general election
, Mitchell lost his marginal seat.
However, Mitchell was not out of the House of Commons for long. His former Parliamentary neighbour in Southampton Itchen, the Speaker of the House of Commons
, Dr. Horace King, was elevated to the House of Lords
in late 1970. Mitchell was selected as the Labour candidate for the seat in the resulting by-election
in 1971, which he won by a majority of nearly 10,000.
Once he returned to the House of Commons, Mitchell quickly re-established his reputation as a "classic trades-union rightist" within the Labour Party. He was a firm Atlanticist and a stalwart defender of the constitutional monarchy, but was also in favour of the nationalisation of Britain's ports. He served as Shirley Williams' PPS and as an indirectly elected member of the European Parliament
from 1975-1979.
After the 1979 election
, Mitchell felt increasingly uneasy with the leftward drift of the Labour Party. However, he was rooted in the Labour movement and was loath to leave the party that he been a member of for nearly four decades. This deep sense of connection contributed to his initial reluctance to leave the Labour Party but, by May 1981, he had formally announced that he did not plan to stand for re-election as a Labour candidate in Southampton Itchen. However, not until after the Labour conference in the autumn of 1981 did he formally leave Labour for the SDP. When he left, he cited as opposition to "further nationalisation, import controls and withdrawing Britain from the Common Market."
In the 1983 general election
, Mitchell finished second with 16,647 votes, 5,290 votes behind the Conservative winner, Christopher Chope
. Mitchell's strong performance was a tribute to the personal vote he had built up over 18 years serving Southampton as an MP. Once out of parliament, Mitchell served as a lecturer in Business Studies at Eastleigh College of Further Education. He tried for selection as SDP candidate for the 1984 Portsmouth South by-election but lost out to Mike Hancock who went on to win the seat; this setback may have deterred the other ex-MPs from seeking to return to Parliament in subsequent by-elections. He contested Southampton Itchen again in the 1987 election
as the Liberal-SDP Alliance candidate, but finished third behind Chope and the Labour candidate, John Denham
. Mitchell died in his native Southampton on 18 September 2003.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He represented Southampton Test for Labour from 1966 to 1970, and Southampton Itchen for Labour and then the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
from 1981 to 1983.
Mitchell was born in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 22 August 1927. He attended Taunton's Grammar School as a youth and graduated from the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
with a degree in Economics. He taught mathematics and science at several schools before eventually finding a position as Senior Master and Head of the Mathematics and Science Department of Bartley County Secondary School, becoming Deputy Head in 1965. He also was an active member of the National Union of Teachers
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
.
Mitchell also became active in Labour party politics, becoming a member of the Southampton borough council in 1955 and contested the safe Conservative seat of New Forest
New Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
New Forest was a county constituency in Hampshire which elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
. In the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, Mitchell contested Southampton Test, which he lost by a mere 348 votes. However, upon contesting the seat again in the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, Mitchell won the seat by over 2,000 votes, propelled by the momentum of the Labour landslide in that election. However, his hold on Southampton Test would prove to be tenuous. In the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
victory in the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, Mitchell lost his marginal seat.
However, Mitchell was not out of the House of Commons for long. His former Parliamentary neighbour in Southampton Itchen, the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
, Dr. Horace King, was elevated to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in late 1970. Mitchell was selected as the Labour candidate for the seat in the resulting by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1971, which he won by a majority of nearly 10,000.
Once he returned to the House of Commons, Mitchell quickly re-established his reputation as a "classic trades-union rightist" within the Labour Party. He was a firm Atlanticist and a stalwart defender of the constitutional monarchy, but was also in favour of the nationalisation of Britain's ports. He served as Shirley Williams' PPS and as an indirectly elected member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
from 1975-1979.
After the 1979 election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, Mitchell felt increasingly uneasy with the leftward drift of the Labour Party. However, he was rooted in the Labour movement and was loath to leave the party that he been a member of for nearly four decades. This deep sense of connection contributed to his initial reluctance to leave the Labour Party but, by May 1981, he had formally announced that he did not plan to stand for re-election as a Labour candidate in Southampton Itchen. However, not until after the Labour conference in the autumn of 1981 did he formally leave Labour for the SDP. When he left, he cited as opposition to "further nationalisation, import controls and withdrawing Britain from the Common Market."
In the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, Mitchell finished second with 16,647 votes, 5,290 votes behind the Conservative winner, Christopher Chope
Christopher Chope
Christopher Robert Chope OBE is a British barrister and Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Christchurch.-Early life:...
. Mitchell's strong performance was a tribute to the personal vote he had built up over 18 years serving Southampton as an MP. Once out of parliament, Mitchell served as a lecturer in Business Studies at Eastleigh College of Further Education. He tried for selection as SDP candidate for the 1984 Portsmouth South by-election but lost out to Mike Hancock who went on to win the seat; this setback may have deterred the other ex-MPs from seeking to return to Parliament in subsequent by-elections. He contested Southampton Itchen again in the 1987 election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
as the Liberal-SDP Alliance candidate, but finished third behind Chope and the Labour candidate, John Denham
John Yorke Denham
John Yorke Denham is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen since 1992. He has previously served in the Cabinet, as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills from 2007 to 2009, and then as the Secretary of State for...
. Mitchell died in his native Southampton on 18 September 2003.