182:, Mitchell felt increasingly uneasy with the leftward drift of the Labour Party. However, he was rooted in the Labour movement and was loath to leave the party that he been a member of for nearly four decades. This deep sense of connection contributed to his initial reluctance to leave the Labour Party but, by May 1981, he had formally announced that he did not plan to stand for re-election as a Labour candidate in Southampton Itchen. However, not until after the Labour conference in the autumn of 1981 did he formally leave Labour for the SDP. When he left, he cited his opposition to "further nationalisation, import controls and withdrawing Britain from the Common Market."
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Once he returned to the House of
Commons, Mitchell quickly re-established his reputation as a "classic trades-union rightist" within the Labour Party. He was a firm Atlanticist and a stalwart defender of the constitutional monarchy, but was also in favour of the nationalisation of Britain's ports.
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Mitchell taught mathematics and science at several schools before eventually finding a position as Senior Master and Head of the
Mathematics and Science Department of Bartley County Secondary School, becoming Deputy Head in 1965.
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Mitchell became active in Labour party politics. He was elected of the
Southampton borough council in 1955 and contested the safe Conservative seat of
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He opposed abortion, thinking it would make it more difficult for childless couples such as him and his wife to adopt. He served as
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Register of
Members' Interests as at 17 January 1983, House of Commons, Parliamentary Papers, Vol 172, 1982-83.
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Bob
Mitchell was married to Doreen Lilian Mitchell (Nee Gregory). The couple adopted two children.
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as the
Liberal-SDP Alliance candidate, but finished third behind Chope and the Labour candidate,
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189:, Mitchell finished second with 16,647 votes, 5,290 votes behind the Conservative winner,
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in late 1970. Mitchell was selected as the Labour candidate for the seat in the resulting
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on 22 August 1927. He attended
Taunton's Grammar School as a youth and graduated from the
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from 1975 to 1979. He acted as consultant to B.A.T Industries Ltd, part of
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who went on to win the seat. He contested
Southampton Itchen again in the
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for long. His former
Parliamentary neighbour in Southampton Itchen, the
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Hansard, House of
Commons, Vol. 765, Col. 1454, 26 February 1970.
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Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
42:(22 August 1927 – 18 September 2003), commonly known as
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in 1971, which he won by a majority of nearly 10,000.
298:"Death Notices & Obituaries: Doreen Mitchell"
167:' PPS and as an indirectly elected member of the
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511:People educated at Godalming Grammar School
356:contributions in Parliament by Bob Mitchell
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266:"BAT closing two UK and Ireland factories"
97:Mitchell was also an active member of the
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501:Alumni of the University of Southampton
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506:MEPs for the United Kingdom 1973–1979
139:However, Mitchell was not out of the
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327:Times Guide to the House of Commons
136:, Mitchell lost his marginal seat.
230:Roth, Andrew (25 September 2003).
61:for Labour from 1966 to 1970, and
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365:Parliament of the United Kingdom
145:Speaker of the House of Commons
274:. 13 July 2005. Archived from
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89:Professional life: Education
85:with a degree in Economics.
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418:Member of Parliament
381:Member of Parliament
51:Member of Parliament
374:John Fletcher-Cooke
169:European Parliament
69:from 1971 to 1983.
422:Southampton Itchen
278:on 15 January 2006
63:Southampton Itchen
57:. He represented
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438:Christopher Chope
435:Succeeded by
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191:Christopher Chope
16:(Redirected from
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496:UK MPs 1979–1983
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486:UK MPs 1974
461:2003 deaths
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354:1803–2005:
209:Family life
203:John Denham
157:by-election
79:Southampton
450:Categories
217:References
178:After the
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73:Early life
304:27 March
46:, was a
351:Hansard
241:12 June
185:In the
120:In the
113:in the
282:7 June
271:Forbes
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