Elections to the Labour Party

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...

's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") took place on 19 November 1981. There were 15 posts, rather than 12 as in previous years. In addition to the 15 members elected, the Leader (Michael Foot

Michael Foot

Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...

), Deputy Leader (Denis Healey

Denis Healey

Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:...

), Labour Chief Whip

Labour Chief Whip

This is a list of those people who have served as Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-House of Commons:*1906: David Shackleton*1906: Arthur Henderson*1907: George Roberts*1914: Arthur Henderson*1914: Frank Goldstone...

 (Michael Cocks

Michael Cocks

Michael Francis Lovell Cocks, Baron Cocks of Hartcliffe was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.Cocks was educated at Silcoates School, Wakefield and Bristol University and became a teacher....

), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (Lord Peart

Fred Peart, Baron Peart

Thomas Frederick "Fred" Peart, Baron Peart, PC was a British Labour politician who served in the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s and was a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Party....

), and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party

Parliamentary Labour Party

In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....

 (Jack Dormand) were automatically members.

Of the 12 incumbent members, 10 were re-elected. Tony Benn

Tony Benn

Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...

, who was the top loser in 1980 automatically took the William Rodgers

William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank

William Thomas Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, PC , usually known as William Rodgers but also often known as Bill Rodgers, was one of the "Gang of Four" of senior British Labour Party politicians who defected to form the Social Democratic Party...

 when the latter left the party to create 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...

. He lost again in this election. It is unclear whether Roy Mason

Roy Mason

Roy Mason, Baron Mason of Barnsley, PC is a British Labour politician and former Cabinet minister.He was born in Royston, and grew up in Carlton, Barnsley in South Yorkshire...

 lost re-election or did not stand. The results of the election, though incomplete, are below

Colour key	Retained in the Shadow Cabinet
	Joined the Shadow Cabinet
	Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet

Rank	Prior rank	Candidate	Constituency	Votes
1	4†	Peter Shore Peter Shore Peter David Shore, Baron Shore of Stepney PC was a British Labour politician and former Cabinet Minister, noted in part for his opposition to the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community. His idiosyncratic left-wing nationalism led to comparison with the French politician...	Stepney and Poplar Stepney and Poplar (UK Parliament constituency) Stepney and Poplar was a parliamentary constituency in London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....	147
2	3	Gerald Kaufman Gerald Kaufman Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 1970, first for Manchester Ardwick, and then subsequently for Manchester Gorton...	Manchester Ardwick Manchester Ardwick (UK Parliament constituency) Manchester Ardwick was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...	142
3	1	Roy Hattersley Roy Hattersley Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...	Birmingham Sparkbrook Birmingham Sparkbrook (UK Parliament constituency) Birmingham, Sparkbrook was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....	135
4	7	John Silkin John Silkin John Ernest Silkin, PC was an English Labour politician and solicitor.He was the third son of Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin, and a younger brother of Samuel Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich. He was educated at Dulwich College, the University of Wales, and Trinity Hall at the University of...	Lewisham Deptford	132
5	2	Eric Varley Eric Varley Eric Graham Varley, Baron Varley, PC was an English politician and former Cabinet Minister on the right wing of the Labour Party....	Chesterfield Chesterfield (UK Parliament constituency) Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a marginal seat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The best-known MP was Tony Benn from 1984 to 2001...	131
6	4†	Merlyn Rees	Leeds South Leeds South (UK Parliament constituency) Leeds South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election...	128
7	12	Neil Kinnock Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...	Bedwellty Bedwellty (UK Parliament constituency) Bedwellty was a county constituency in Monmouthshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....	118
8	8†	Albert Booth Albert Booth Albert Edward Booth was a British Labour Party politician.Booth was educated at Marine School, South Shields and Rutherford College of Technology . He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962-65.Booth contested Tynemouth in 1964...	Barrow and Furness Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency) Barrow and Furness is a parliamentary constituency in Cumbria, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...	114
9	11	John Smith	North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency) North Lanarkshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1885 and from 1918 to 1983...	111
10	15	Brynmor John Brynmor John Brynmor Thomas John was a British Labour politician.John was Member of Parliament for Pontypridd in South Wales from 1970 until his death in 1988 at the age of 55...	Pontypridd Pontypridd (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:...	105
11	6	Stanley Orme Stanley Orme, Baron Orme Stanley Orme, Baron Orme PC was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1964 to 1997, and served as a cabinet minister in the 1970s.-Early life:Stan Orme was born in Sale, Cheshire...	Salford West Salford West (UK Parliament constituency) Salford West was a parliamentary constituency in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester from 1885 until 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...	104
12	14	Bruce Millan Bruce Millan Bruce Millan is a Scottish Labour politician. He was born in Dundee and educated at the Harris Academy in that city.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Craigton at the 1959 general election and served for that seat, and after its abolition for Glasgow Govan, until 1988...	Glasgow Craigton Glasgow Craigton (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow Craigton was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from United Kingdom general election, 1955|1955]] until United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983]]....	92
13	16	Eric Heffer Eric Heffer Eric Samuel Heffer was a British socialist politician. He was Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton from 1964 until his death. His working-class background and consciousness fed in to his left-wing politics, but to an extent disguised the depth of his knowledge: with 12,000 books in...	Liverpool Walton Liverpool Walton (UK Parliament constituency) Liverpool, Walton is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...	84
14	?	Peter Archer	Warley West Warley West (UK Parliament constituency) Warley West was a parliamentary constituency in the borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...	83
15	?	Gwyneth Dunwoody Gwyneth Dunwoody Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe from 1974 to her death in 2008...	Crewe Crewe (UK Parliament constituency) Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....	82
16	18	Norman Buchan Norman Buchan Norman Findlay Buchan was a Labour politician, who represented the West Renfrewshire seat from 1964 until 1983 and the Paisley South seat from 1983 to 1990....	West Renfrewshire	80
17	?	Robin Cook Robin Cook Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....	Edinburgh Central Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....	73
?	13	Tony Benn Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...	Bristol South East Bristol South East (UK Parliament constituency) Bristol South East was a borough constituency in the city of Bristol. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election....	66
?	?	Giles Radice Giles Radice, Baron Radice Giles Heneage Radice, Baron Radice PC is a Labour member of the House of Lords.Radice contested the Chippenham constituency unsuccessfully for Labour at the 1966 general election....	Chester-le-Street Chester-le-Street (UK Parliament constituency) Chester-le-Street was a county constituency centred on the town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....	60
?	?	Jeremy Bray Jeremy Bray Jeremy William Bray was a British Labour politician and a Member of Parliament for 31 years.Bray was educated at Kingswood School, Bath and Jesus College, Cambridge and was a Choate Fellow at Harvard University...	Motherwell and Wishaw Motherwell and Wishaw (UK Parliament constituency) Motherwell and Wishaw is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1974, mostly from Motherwell...	?
?	?	James Craigen James Craigen James Mark Craigen is a British Labour Co-operative politician.Craigen was Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill from 1974 to 1987, when he stood down. His successor was Maria Fyfe.-References:...	Glasgow Maryhill Glasgow Maryhill (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow Maryhill was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005 when it was subsumed into the new Glasgow North and Glasgow North East constituencies...	?
?	20	Tam Dalyell Tam Dalyell Sir Thomas Dalyell Loch, 11th Baronet , known as Tam Dalyell, is a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005, first for West Lothian and then for Linlithgow.-Early life:...	West Lothian West Lothian (UK Parliament constituency) West Lothian was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....	?
?	?	Harry Ewing Harry Ewing, Baron Ewing of Kirkford Harry Ewing, Baron Ewing of Kirkford DL was a Labour politician in Scotland. He served as a Member of Parliament for 21 years, from a by-election in 1971 until the 1992 general election, when he became a life peer...	Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth	?
?	?	Robert Hughes Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside is a British Labour politician.Educated at Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen and in South Africa where he lived 1947–1954, he worked as a draughtsman...	Aberdeen North Aberdeen North (UK Parliament constituency) Aberdeen North is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...	?