Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain explained

Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
Leader:	Tom Keen
Foundation:	1974
Dissolved:	c. 1982
Ideology:	Anti-labourism
Headquarters:	Manchester
Country:	the United Kingdom

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. 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. 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.

Results

October 1974 general election

Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position	Result
Aldridge-Brownhills		210	0.4	4	hold
Battersea South		170	0.6	4	hold
Birmingham Handsworth		105	0.3	4	hold
Birmingham Perry Barr		86	0.2	5	hold
Birmingham Yardley		111	0.2	5	hold
Bolton East		149	0.3	5	hold
Bradford West		339	0.8	4	hold
Chorley		185	0.3	4	hold
Coventry South West		144	0.3	5	hold
Derby North		242	0.4	4	hold
Glasgow Govan		27	0.1	6	hold
Gravesend		239	0.4	5	hold
Huddersfield West		136	0.3	5	hold
Ilford South		169	0.4	4	hold
Keighley		179	0.4	5	hold
Loughborough		125	0.2	5	hold
Manchester Moss Side		96	0.3	5	hold
Middleton and Prestwich		234	0.4	4	hold
Portsmouth North		527	1.0	4	hold
Preston North		138	0.3	4	hold
Preston South		87	0.2	5	hold
Putney		125	0.3	4	hold
Sowerby		157	0.4	4	hold
Walsall South		150	0.4	5	hold
York		304	0.5	4	hold

1979 general election

Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position	Result
Bristol North West		73	0.1	5	gain
Bristol South East		66	0.1	5	hold
Colne Valley		101	0.2	4	hold
Coventry North West		98	0.3	4	hold
Coventry South West		144	0.3	5	gain
Huddersfield West		101	0.2	4	gain

By-elections, 1979–1983

Election	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position	Result
1981 Warrington		10	0.0	11	hold
1982 Beaconsfield		51	0.1	6	hold

At Beaconsfield, Keen stood under the description "Benn in 10 unless Proportional Representation".

References

1. 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. [F. W. S. Craig]
4. Peter Barberis et al, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, p. 320.
5. [Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]