Labour’s Tribulations (from May 1979)

Abstract

THE General Election of May 1979 was followed a few weeks later, in June, by the first election of members of the European Parliament. For this purpose, the country was divided into only 81 seats, or 78 excluding Northern Ireland. So far as Labour was concerned, the results were very disappointing. Many supporters took the view that the European Parliament should be boycotted, and so there were widespread abstentions. The average poll was light, and Labour with only 33 per cent of the total took only 17 of the 78 British seats. Of the remainder, 60 were won by the Conservatives and one by a Scottish Nationalist. In these large constituencies the Liberals were unable to obtain a single seat. Barbara Castle was elected Leader of the Labour Group, which devoted itself to opposing increases in agricultural prices and to pressing for greater expenditure on regional and social policies.