Neville Sandelson
Encyclopedia
Neville Devonshire Sandelson (27 November 1923 – 12 January 2002) was a British
politician.
Sandelson was educated at Westminster School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple
in 1946, and director of a publishing company. He was elected to the London County Council
in 1952 and was a council member of Toynbee Hall
and the Fabian Society
.
Sandelson contested Ashford
in 1950, 1951 and 1955, the Beckenham
by-election in 1957 and Rushcliffe
in 1959. He might have won the seat of Heston and Isleworth
at the 1966 general election
from Reader Harris, its Conservative MP, had it not been for a strong Liberal Party vote. Additionally he also lost the Leicester South West seat in the subsequent election.
He was elected Labour Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hayes and Harlington
in a 1971 by-election
. Later in the decade he survived a number of attempts to de-select him and seemed to relish the role of the beleaguered right wing Labour MP. In 1981, he was among the Labour MPs who defected to the new Social Democratic Party
. Sandelson later said that he had decided to join the party months before, and had voted for Michael Foot
in the Labour leadership election
in order to ensure Labour had an unelectable leader.
In 1983 he lost his seat, polling 29% of the vote - although he almost pushed Labour into third place which allowed the Conservative
candidate Terry Dicks to win. When the 1987 general election came round he did not stand and endorsed a number of Conservative candidates as a means of defeating Labour though the list included Chris Patten
whose seat was a prime SDP-Liberal Alliance
target which Labour had no chance of winning. Despite the above activities he was allowed to rejoin the Labour party in 1996.
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...
politician.
Sandelson was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1946, and director of a publishing company. He was elected to the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1952 and was a council member of Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall is a building in Tower Hamlets, East London which is the home of a charity working to bridge the gap between people of all social and financial backgrounds, with a focus on eradicating poverty and promoting social inclusion....
and the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
.
Sandelson contested Ashford
Ashford (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashford is a parliamentary 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 voting system.-Boundaries:...
in 1950, 1951 and 1955, the Beckenham
Beckenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Beckenham is a parliamentary 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.-Constituency profile:...
by-election in 1957 and Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 80's:-Notes and references:...
in 1959. He might have won the seat of Heston and Isleworth
Heston and Isleworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Heston and Isleworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Heston and Isleworth districts of west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
at 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...
from Reader Harris, its Conservative MP, had it not been for a strong Liberal Party vote. Additionally he also lost the Leicester South West seat in the subsequent election.
He was elected 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...
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) for Hayes and Harlington
Hayes and Harlington (UK Parliament constituency)
Hayes and Harlington 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:...
in a 1971 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. Later in the decade he survived a number of attempts to de-select him and seemed to relish the role of the beleaguered right wing Labour MP. In 1981, he was among the Labour MPs who defected to the new 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...
. Sandelson later said that he had decided to join the party months before, and had voted for 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...
in the Labour leadership election
Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1980
The British Labour Party leadership election of 1980 was held following the resignation of James Callaghan. Callaghan had been Prime Minister 1976—1979 and had stayed on as leader of the Labour Party for eighteen months in order to oversee an orderly transition to his favoured successor, Denis...
in order to ensure Labour had an unelectable leader.
In 1983 he lost his seat, polling 29% of the vote - although he almost pushed Labour into third place which allowed 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...
candidate Terry Dicks to win. When the 1987 general election came round he did not stand and endorsed a number of Conservative candidates as a means of defeating Labour though the list included Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
whose seat was a prime SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
target which Labour had no chance of winning. Despite the above activities he was allowed to rejoin the Labour party in 1996.