On this day: Harold Wilson’s Labour wins a majority - The Jewish Chronicle

October 1974 saw a record 45 Jewish MPs elected to parliament. Of those, 35 were “Jewish socialists” while ten were Conservatives. In total, 91 Jewish candidates stood for election, less than at the February vote.

However The JC reported that “at his own request, MP Clement Freud…is no longer included in the list of Jewish parliamentarians.”

A second election was called that year after Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson took power with a hung parliament. At the second election, held on October 10 but with the results announced a day later, he increased his majority to three.

The election gave a boost to female Jewish politicians. The numbers of Labour women doubled (to four) with the arrival of Millie Miller and Helen Middleweek, both members of Labour Friends of Israel.