Albert Booth

Booth was born in Acomb, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, in 1928. He was raised in Hampshire and South Shields, and educated at Marine School, South Shields, and Rutherford College of Technology (now Northumbria University). He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962–65. ==Parliamentary career==

Booth unsuccessfully contested Tynemouth in 1964, losing to the sitting MP Irene Ward. However, a campaign against him centred in a local Catholic church, highlighting his record of voting in favour of women's right to choose to have an abortion, was also a significant factor. (Booth was a lay preacher in the Methodist Church.) ==Later career==

Booth made it through to the final round in the Labour selection for Sunderland South ahead of the 1987 election, but lost out by four votes to Chris Mullin. He unsuccessfully contested Warrington South in 1987. ==Personal life and death==

In 1957, Booth married Joan Atkinson (née Amis); they had three sons and were married until her death in 2008. Booth died at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Locksbottom, London, on 6 February 2010, at the age of 81; his health had been in decline due to a series of illnesses, including prostate cancer. ==References==