1994 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election

Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet took place in October 1994, at the beginning of the 1994/5 session of parliament. Under the rules then in effect, the Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected 18 members of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, who were then assigned portfolios by the leader. The Commons members of the PLP separately elected the Chief Whip, and the Labour peers elected the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. In addition, the Leader of the Labour Party and Deputy Leader (Tony Blair and John Prescott, respectively) were members by virtue of those offices. The 18 elected members of the Shadow Cabinet were the ones with the largest number of votes. MPs were required to vote for at least four women, but women were not necessarily guaranteed places in the Shadow Cabinet.

Colour
key
Retained in the Shadow Cabinet
Joined the Shadow Cabinet
Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet
Rank
Candidate
Constituency
Votes
1 Robin Cook Livingston 187
2 Margaret Beckett[1] Derby South 170
3 Gordon Brown Dunfermline East 167
4 Donald Dewar Glasgow Garscadden 142
5 Harriet Harman Peckham 141
6 Frank Dobson Holborn and St Pancras 137
7 George Robertson Hamilton 126
8† Mo Mowlam Redcar 125
8† Chris Smith Islington South and Finsbury 125
10 Jack Cunningham Copeland 120
11 Michael Meacher Oldham West 114
12 Ron Davies Caerphilly 113
13 David Clark South Shields 109
14 Jack Straw Blackburn 106
15† David Blunkett Sheffield Brightside 100
15† Joan Lestor Eccles 100
17† Gavin Strang Edinburgh East 97
17† Ann Taylor Dewsbury 97
19† Ann Clwyd Cynon Valley 94
19† Clare Short Birmingham Ladywood 94
21 Hilary Armstrong North West Durham 93
22 Derek Fatchett Leeds Central 88
23† Nick Brown Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 86
23† Tony Lloyd Stretford 86
23† Brian Wilson Cunninghame North 86
26 Tom Clarke Monklands West 83
27 Alun Michael Cardiff West 81
28 Joyce Quin Gateshead East 78
29 Dawn Primarolo Bristol South 75
30 Kevin McNamara Kingston upon Hull North 70
31 Stuart Bell Middlesbrough 67
32 Alistair Darling Edinburgh Central 61
33 Chris Mullin Sunderland South 59
34 George Foulkes Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley 58
35† Irene Adams Paisley North 57
35† John Marek Wrexham 57
37 Llin Golding Newcastle-under-Lyme 56
38 Mildred Gordon Bow and Poplar 48
39 Martin O'Neill Clackmannan 45
40† Maria Fyfe Glasgow Maryhill 43
40† Henry McLeish Central Fife 43
42† Tony Banks Newham North West 42
42† Joan Ruddock Lewisham Deptford 42
44 Kate Hoey Vauxhall 41
45 Ian McCartney Makerfield 40
46 John McFall Dumbarton 38
47 Jeff Rooker Birmingham Perry Barr 35
48 Joan Walley Stoke-on-Trent North 32
49 Jeremy Corbyn Islington North 31
50 Barry Sheerman Huddersfield 30
51 Rhodri Morgan Cardiff South and Penarth 28
52 Clive Soley Hammersmith 24

† Multiple candidates tied for position.

  1. ^ Had served in the previous configuration of the Shadow Cabinet as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.