Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain

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The Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain was a political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded before the February 1974 general election by Tom Keen and Harold Smith, both business owners in Manchester.

Keen was the party's leader. Before forming the campaign, he had become a millionaire through property development. The party called for voters not to vote for its candidates, but for tactical voting to defeat the Labour Party; it distributed anti-Labour literature. Despite this, some of its candidacies received hundreds of votes, with Keen's candidacy in Portsmouth North at the October 1974 general election attracting 1.0% of all the votes cast.[1]

The party first came to public attention when members plastered the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress with anti-union posters.[2] It was also strongly opposed to the Communist Party of Great Britain.[3]

Smith stood against Labour Party leader Harold Wilson at the February 1974 general election, taking 234 votes.[1] Keen and Smith set a new record at the October general election by standing simultaneously in eleven and twelve constituencies, respectively.[4] With two associates who stood in a single constituency each, the campaign stood in a total of 25 seats, receiving 4,301 votes.[3] Each constituency was a marginal seat held by the Labour Party, but Labour held each seat at the election.[5]

Keen stood for the party again in the 1979 general election and several by-elections. However, the party was apparently dissolved in the early 1980s, Keen standing in five Labour seats at the 1983 general election as an independent.[1]

Results

February 1974 general election

Constituency Candidate Votes[1] Percentage Position Result
Huyton Script error: No such module "Sort". 234 0.4 4
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October 1974 general election

Constituency Candidate Votes[3] Percentage Position Result
Aldridge-Brownhills Script error: No such module "Sort". 210 0.4 4
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Battersea South Script error: No such module "Sort". 170 0.6 4
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Birmingham Handsworth Script error: No such module "Sort". 105 0.3 4
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Birmingham Perry Barr Script error: No such module "Sort". 86 0.2 5
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Birmingham Yardley Script error: No such module "Sort". 111 0.2 5
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Bolton East Script error: No such module "Sort". 149 0.3 5
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Bradford West Script error: No such module "Sort". 339 0.8 4
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Chorley Script error: No such module "Sort". 185 0.3 4
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Coventry South West Script error: No such module "Sort". 144 0.3 5
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Derby North Script error: No such module "Sort". 242 0.4 4
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Glasgow Govan Script error: No such module "Sort". 27 0.1 6
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Gravesend Script error: No such module "Sort". 239 0.4 5
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Huddersfield West Script error: No such module "Sort". 136 0.3 5
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Ilford South Script error: No such module "Sort". 169 0.4 4
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Keighley Script error: No such module "Sort". 179 0.4 5
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Loughborough Script error: No such module "Sort". 125 0.2 5
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Manchester Moss Side Script error: No such module "Sort". 96 0.3 5
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Middleton and Prestwich Script error: No such module "Sort". 234 0.4 4
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Portsmouth North Script error: No such module "Sort". 527 1.0 4
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Preston North Script error: No such module "Sort". 138 0.3 4
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Preston South Script error: No such module "Sort". 87 0.2 5
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Putney Script error: No such module "Sort". 125 0.3 4
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Sowerby Script error: No such module "Sort". 157 0.4 4
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Walsall South Script error: No such module "Sort". 150 0.4 5
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York Script error: No such module "Sort". 304 0.5 4
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By-elections, 1974–1979

Election Candidate Votes Percentage Position Result
1976 Coventry North West Script error: No such module "Sort". 40 0.1 6
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1979 general election

Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position Result
Bristol North West Script error: No such module "Sort". 73 0.1 5
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Bristol South East Script error: No such module "Sort". 66 0.1 5
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Colne Valley Script error: No such module "Sort". 101 0.2 4
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Coventry North West Script error: No such module "Sort". 98 0.3 4
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Coventry South West Script error: No such module "Sort". 144 0.3 5
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Huddersfield West Script error: No such module "Sort". 101 0.2 4
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By-elections, 1979–1983

Election Candidate Votes Percentage Position Result
1981 Warrington Script error: No such module "Sort". 10 0.0 11
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1982 Beaconsfield Script error: No such module "Sort". 51 0.1 6
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At Beaconsfield, Keen stood under the description "Benn in 10 unless Proportional Representation".

References

  1. ↑ a b c d David Boothroyd, Politico's guide to the history of British political parties, p. 28.
  2. ↑ Institute for the Study of Conflict, Sources of conflict in British industry, p. 34.
  3. ↑ a b c F. W. S. Craig, Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885–1974, p. 128.
  4. ↑ Peter Barberis et al, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, p. 320.
  5. ↑ Labour Party, Conference (vol. 74), p. 27.
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