Albert Booth

This article is about the British politician. For the American pioneer and settler in North Dakota, see Albert A. Booth. For the American college football player, see Albie 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-in-Furness
In office 31 March 1966 – 13 May 1983
Preceded by	Walter Monslow
Succeeded by	Cecil Franks
Personal details
Born	(1928-05-28)28 May 1928 Acomb, England
Died	6 February 2010(2010-02-06) (aged 81) London, England
Party	Labour
Alma mater	Northumbria University

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. (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.

References

• 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