Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet took place in October 1995, at the beginning of the 1995/6 session of parliament. Under the rules then in effect, the Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected 19 members of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, who were then assigned portfolios by the leader. 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. With this election, for the first time, the role Opposition Chief Whip was simply another portfolio to be handed out rather than an office separately elected by the PLP. The 19 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.
Colourkey Retained in the Shadow Cabinet Joined the Shadow Cabinet Voted out of the Shadow Cabinet
Rank Candidate Constituency Votes 1 Derby South 187 2 Livingston 181 3 Dunfermline East 159 4 Caerphilly 157 5 Glasgow Garscadden 156 6 Redcar 152 7 Islington South and Finsbury 148 8 Holborn and St Pancras 142 9 South Shields 141 10 Dewsbury 138 11 Sheffield Brightside 132 12 Edinburgh East 131 13 Blackburn 128 14 Eccles 122 15 Oldham West 121 16 Birmingham Ladywood 119 17 Hamilton 116 18 Peckham 108 19 Monklands West 107 20 Copeland 100 21 Stretford 99 22 Leeds Central 90 23† Gateshead East 88 23† Cunninghame North 88 25 Bristol South 86 26 Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 84 27 Middlesbrough 82 28 North West Durham 80 29 Wrexham 76 30 Cynon Valley 72 31 Paisley North 71 32† Cardiff West 69 32† Sunderland South 69 34 Edinburgh Central 67 35 Sheffield Central 65 36 Newcastle-under-Lyme 64 37 Central Fife 50 38 Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley 47 39 Makerfield 46 40 Newham North West 41 41 Liverpool Walton 40 42 Rother Valley 30 † Multiple candidates tied for position.
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