The late Michael Foot was believed to have been the last surviving pre-Second World War general election candidate, having fought Monmouth in 1935.
In 1945 he won Plymouth Devonport from the National (formerly Liberal) MP Leslie Hore-Belisha, after whom the Belisha beacon is named. His father, Isaac Foot, had lost the neighbouring Plymouth Sutton constituency in 1919 to Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in parliament. Isaac fought Bodmin six times, winning four contests and losing two. He was also unsuccessful at Totnes, St Ives and Tavistock.
Michael's brother Dingle was elected Liberal MP in Dundee in 1931, defeating the only Prohibitionist MP, Edwin Scrymgeour. However, Dingle Foot later left the Liberals for Labour and won Ipswich in a 1957 by-election, beating John Cobbold, chairman of Ipswich Town. He lost the
seat in 1970 to a Tory called Mr Money.
