GLC Election Campaign Results (1973)

Party News from the June 1973 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Party’s GLC election campaign was a success in terms of activity, publicity and literature sales. Some 60 to 70 London members were involved in one way or another to distribute 50,000 leaflets, sell 500 Socialist Standards and hold a number of outdoor meetings. Publicity included, besides local and London evening press reports, a brief television appearance during which our spokesman was able to make the point that we were contesting the election to put over the case for Socialism, oppose the parties of capitalism and demonstrate our view that Socialism can be established democratically through the ballot box. There were also two even briefer interviews on Radio London. These broadcasts were a start, but came nowhere near our demand, as a matter of democratic principle, that all parties contesting elections should have equal time on radio and television to present their views in their own way under their own control. No doubt if this had been allowed we would have had many more enquiries. The results accurately reflect the present low level of Socialist consciousness amongst the working class and demonstrate the need for increased Socialist activity to overcome this. For the record the detailed results for the 11 constituencies where there were Socialist candidates are set out below:

Hackney North and Stoke Newington:

Pitt (Lab) 6529, House (C) 2524, Goldman (Comm) 621, Carter (Soc) 250. 

Hampstead: 

Wistrich (Lab) 12458, Clarke (C) 9823, Benad (L) 2824, Champion (Comm) 466, Cox (Soc) 191. 

Holborn and St. Pancras South: 

Kazantis (Lab) 7437, Weeks (C) 3520, Elithorn (L) 1085, Davies (Soc) 99, Fierz (Ind) 72, Goulstone (Ind) 60. 

Hornsey: 

Bains (C) 10,361, Warren (Lab) 10,078, O’Brien (L) 3450, Van den Berg (Comm) 483, Porter (Soc) 144. 

Islington North: 

Bondy (Lab) 7463, Yeo (C) 2798, Buick (Soc) 284. 

Lambeth Central: 

Grieves (Lab) 9231, Pritchard (C) 2707, Kane (L) 1026. Jackson (Ind) 143, Baldwin (Soc) 115, Solomon (Ind) 103.

Norwood: 

Livingstone (Lab) 11,622, Malynn (C) 8007, Drake (L) 1819, Young (Soc) 95.

St. Marylebone: 

Plummer (C) 7930, Gordon (Lab) 4971, Darvas (Ind C) 485, Temple (Comm) 276, Weidberg (Soc) 84. 

Streatham: 

Geddes (C) 10,492, Walker (Lab) 9426, Mitchell (L) 2114, Simkins (Soc) 120, Boaks (Ind) 57.

Tottenham: 

McIntosh (Lab) 8043, Croft (C) 3360, Conev (Ind) 2924, Young (Soc) 109.

Vauxhall: 

Carr (Lab) 10821, Bottomley (C) 3396, Henry (Comm) 365, Sansum (Soc) 121.