James Wellbeloved

Alfred James Wellbeloved (29 July 1926 – 10 September 2012) was a British politician who was the MP for Erith and Crayford from 1965 to 1983. He was elected as a member of the Labour Party, but defected to the Social Democratic Party after its formation in 1981.

Early life and career Wellbeloved was born in Lewisham in 1926. He was a boy seaman in the Royal Navy during World War II. After the war, he attended South London Technical College, and worked in the building and appliance industries, becoming active as a union officer. He married Mavis Radcliff in 1948, and they had three children.

Wellbeloved served successively as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Defence Minister Gerry Reynolds and Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart, and was under-secretary of state for the Air Force in the Callaghan government.

In 1981, Wellbeloved was among the Labour MPs who defected to the Social Democratic Party. At the 1983 general election, he lost his seat by just 920 votes to the Conservative David Evennett. He later rejoined the Labour Party.

Wellbeloved was known for his brusque, uncompromising personality, leading some colleagues to remark upon his surname with irony.

Later life After leaving parliament, Wellbeloved served on the boards of organ donation groups. He died in Bexley on 10 September 2012, at the age of 86.