Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in November 1972. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (Harold Wilson), Deputy Leader (Edward Short), Labour Chief Whip (Bob Mellish), Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (Douglas Houghton), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (Baron Shackleton), and Labour Chief Whip in the Lords (Baron Beswick) were automatically members. The Labour Lords elected one further member, Baron Champion.[1]

There was a tie for twelfth place, which required a run-off election between Peter Shore and John Silkin. However, Silkin withdrew, leaving Shore to take the final place in the cabinet, without an election.[1]

The 12 winners of the election are listed below:[1]

Colour
key 		Retained in the Shadow Cabinet
Joined the Shadow Cabinet
Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet
Rank
 Prior
rank
 Candidate
 Constituency
 Votes
1= 13 Reg Prentice Daventry 154
1= 3 Shirley Williams Hitchin 154
3 8 Anthony Crosland Great Grimsby 148
4 2 Michael Foot Ebbw Vale 146
5 4 Jim Callaghan Cardiff South East 142
6 12 Denis Healey Leeds East 137
7 5 Willie Ross Kilmarnock 134
8 6 Fred Peart Workington 128
9 7 Harold Lever Manchester Cheetham 125
10 25 Merlyn Rees Leeds South 107
11 10 Tony Benn Bristol South East 106
12= 11 Peter Shore Stepney 102
12= 14 John Silkin Deptford 102
14 17 Cledwyn Hughes Anglesey 91
15 16 Eric Heffer Liverpool Walton 84
16 15 Barbara Castle Blackburn 78
17 26 George Thomas Cardiff West 73
18= 19 Dick Mabon Greenock 71
18= 20 Roy Mason Barnsley 71
18= 18 Bill Rodgers Stockton-on-Tees 71
21 N/A Roy Hattersley Birmingham Sparkbrook 68
22 24 Stan Orme Salford West 65
23 22 Willie Hamilton West Fife 57
24 N/A Norman Atkinson Tottenham 54
25 N/A Denis Howell Birmingham Small Heath 53
26 N/A Brian O'Malley Rotherham 46
27 N/A John Mendelson Penistone 45
28 N/A Alf Morris Manchester Wythenshawe 42
29 N/A Ivor Richard Barons Court 40
30 N/A Arthur Palmer Bristol Central 31
31 N/A John Morris Aberavon 18

References

  1. ^ a b c "Parliamentary Labour Party". The Political Companion (15): 71–72. Summer 1973.
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