By a Staff Reporter The General Election brought the total number
of Catholics in the House of Com-tons to 39, a gain of two.
The result means that the proportion of Catholic MPs in the Commons stands at about six per cent, but as the proportion of Catholics in the United Kingdom as a whole is nearly double this figure, at about Il to 12 per cent, it is obvious that the Catholic population is grossly under-represented,
There are four new Catholic MPs: Dennis Canavan (Labour), Stirlingshire West; Michael Brotherton (Conservative), Louth; George Thompson (Scottish National Party), Galloway; and Francis Maguire (Independent), Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
Michael Ancram, formerly Conservative MP for Berwick and East Lothian, was defeated, and another Catholic, Neil McBride, who represented Swansea East for the Labour Party, died before the election.
The following Catholics are now in Parliament:
LABOUR (22)
Richard Buchanan, Glasgow, Springburn; Dennis Canavan, Stirlingshire West; Stanley Cohen, Leeds South-East; Thomas Cox, Wandsworth, Tooting; Hugh Delargy, Thurrock; James Dempsey, Coatbridge and Airdrie; Patrick Duffy, Sheffield, Attercliffe; James Dunn, Liverpool, Kirkdale; James Hamilton, Bothwell; Simon Mahon, Bootle; Frank McElhone, Glasgow, Queen's Park; Michael McGuire, Ince; Kevin McNamara, Kingston-uponHull, Central; Robert Mellish, Southwark, Bermondsey; Michael O'Halloran, Islington North; Brian O'Malley, Rotherham; Robert Parry, Liverpool, Scotland Exchange; Tom Pendry, Stalybridge and Hyde; Peter Snape, West Bromwich, East; Albert Stallard, Camden, St, Pancras North; Sydney Tierney, Birmingham, Yardley; Mrs Shirley Williams, Hertford and Stevenage.
SDLP (1)
Gerard Fitt, Belfast West. SCOTTISH NAT (2) lain McCormick, Argyll; George Thompson, Galloway.
INDEPENDENT (1)
Francis Maguire, Fermanagh and S. Tyrone.
CONSERVATIVE (13)
John Biggs-Davison, Epping Forest; Michael Brotherton, Louth; Anthony Fell, Yarmouth; Hugh Fraser, Stafford and Stone; Barney Hayhoe, Hounslow, Brentford and Isleworth; David James, Dorset North; Sir Timothy Kitson, Richmond, Yorks; David Price, Eastleigh; Sir Peter Rawlinson, Epsom and Ewell; Hugh Rossi, Haringey, Hornsey; Norman St John Stevas, Chelmsford; Christopher Tugendhat, Cities of London and Westminster, City of London and Westminster South; Patrick Wall, Haltemprice.
Editorial — P4