Albert Booth loses seat
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THE GENERAL ELECTION has taken its toll of some of the bett known transport-minded MPs, but most have returned for the ne Parliament.
The Labour Party must appoint a new transport spokesman, following Shadow Transport Secretary Albert Booth's defeat by a Conservative at Barrow in Furness. No appointment was expected before next week, and the upheaval caused by Labour leader Michael Foot's resignation means that any appointment could only be a stop-gap one until October, when a new leader will be elected.
Labour's defence policy appears to have cost Mr Booth his seat, which he held from 1966, as nuclear submarines are built there. He was transport spokesman from 1979, having been Employment Secretary from 1976 to 1979 under Prime Minister Jim Callaghan.
A Conservative won Commons transport committee chairman Tom Bradley's Leicester East seat, consigning the SDP transport spokesman to third place, behind the Labour candidate. The Alliance must also find a new voice of transport.
But retiring SDP leader Roy Jenkins defeated another transport committee member, Labour's Neil Carmichael, Glasgow Hillhead, but only by 2.8 per cent margin. Mr Carrr chael, a Glasgow MP for ; years, served as a Junior Tran port Minister from 1966 to 191 and in 1974/75.
The last Labour Transpc Secretary, SDP "gang of fou member Bill Rodgers, carr third at Stockton North, defeati by a new Labour MP and behir the Conservative candidate. Iwas Transport Secretary fro 1976 to 1979.
Among the doughty fighe for transport who are back in tt Commons are Peter Fry, wk held Wellingborough for tt Conservatives with a 22.9 p cent majority over Labour, ar motor industry supporter la Mills, who held Meriden for ti same party with a 28.3 per ce majority over Labour.
One result of the election that the Freight Transport Ass ciation, which had booke Messrs Bradley and Booth speak at its September confe once along with sacked Tran port Secretary David Howe must find three new politic speakers.