Albert Booth
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Albert Edward Booth (28 May 1928 – 6 February 2010) was a British left-wing Labour Party politician and cabinet minister.
Early life
Booth was born in Acomb, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, in 1928. He was raised in Hampshire and South Shields, and educated at Marine School, South Shields, and Rutherford College of Technology (now Northumbria University). He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962–65.
Parliamentary career
Booth unsuccessfully contested Tynemouth in 1964, losing to the sitting MP Irene Ward. 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 and 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. 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.[citation needed] (Booth was a lay preacher in the Methodist Church.)
Later career
Booth made it through to the final round in the Labour selection for Sunderland South ahead of the 1987 election, but lost out by four votes to Chris Mullin. He unsuccessfully contested Warrington South in 1987.
Personal life and death
In 1957, Booth married Joan Atkinson (née Amis); they had three sons and were married until her death in 2008.
Booth died at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Locksbottom, London, on 6 February 2010, at the age of 81; his health had been in decline due to a series of illnesses, including prostate cancer.
- Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1966 & 1983
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005:
- – Daily Telegraph obituary
- – Workers' Liberty obituary by his niece, Janine Booth
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byWalter Monslow | Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness 1966–1983 | Succeeded byCecil Franks |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded byMichael Foot | Secretary of State for Employment 1976–1979 | Succeeded byJames Prior |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded byEric Varley | Treasurer of the Labour Party 1983–1984 | Succeeded bySam McCluskie |