Albert Booth
| The Right Honourable Albert Booth | |
|---|---|
| Shadow Secretary of State for Transport | |
|
In office 14 July 1979 – 9 June 1983 | |
| Leader |
James Callaghan Michael Foot |
| Preceded by | Norman Fowler |
| Succeeded by | John Prescott |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Employment | |
|
In office 4 May 1979 – 14 July 1979 | |
| Leader | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | James Prior |
| Succeeded by | Eric Varley |
| Secretary of State for Employment | |
|
In office 8 April 1976 – 4 May 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | James Prior |
| Minister of State for Employment | |
|
In office 5 March 1974 – 8 April 1976 | |
| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Robin Chichester-Clark |
| Succeeded by | Harold Walker |
| Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness | |
|
In office 31 March 1966 – 9 June 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Monslow |
| Succeeded by | Cecil Franks |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 May 1928 |
| Died | 6 February 2010 (aged 81) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Northumbria University |
Albert Edward Booth (28 May 1928 – 6 February 2010)[1] was a British left-wing[2] Labour Party politician.
Early life
Booth was educated at Marine School, South Shields and Rutherford College of Technology (Northumbria University). He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962–65.
Parliamentary career
Booth contested Tynemouth in 1964. He was Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness from 1966 to 1983, and was Secretary of State for Employment from 1976 to 1979 serving under James Callaghan. He also acted as the Labour Party's national Treasurer between 1983–1984.
After boundary changes, his seat was renamed Barrow and Furness, for the 1983 General Election but despite a 1979 majority of 7,741 he lost it to the Conservative Cecil Franks. This has often been attributed to Labour's unilateralist policy of nuclear disarmament, and Booth himself identified with that, leading a CND march through his constituency. However, his constituents were reliant on the defence industries, particularly shipbuilding, and this led to one of Labour's most unexpected defeats of the election.[3][4] However, a campaign against him centred in a local Catholic church, highlighting his record of voting in favour of women's right to choose to have an abortion, was also a significant factor. (Religiously Booth was a lay preacher in the Methodist Church.)[1]
Later life
Despite contesting Warrington South in 1987, Booth never won back a seat in Parliament.
References
- 1 2 "Former Barrow MP Albert Booth dies at 81 – tributes". North-West Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
- ↑ Julia Langdon (2010-02-10). "Albert Booth obituary | Politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ↑ "Albert Booth obituary". The Guardian. 10 February 2010.
- ↑ "Albert Booth". The Daily Telegraph. 15 February 2010.
- Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1966 & 1983
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Albert Booth
- Albert Booth – Daily Telegraph obituary
- Albert Booth 1928–2010: an "Old Labour" man – Workers' Liberty obituary by his niece, Janine Booth
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Walter Monslow |
Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness 1966–1983 |
Succeeded by Cecil Franks |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Michael Foot |
Secretary of State for Employment 1976–1979 |
Succeeded by James Prior |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Eric Varley |
Treasurer of the Labour Party 1983–1984 |
Succeeded by Sam McCluskie |
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