Constituency : Whitechapel and St George's 1931-5, Leicester West 1945-50, Leicester North West 1950-70 ( Labour )
Barnett took Whitechapel and St Georges from Labour at the second attempt helped by the Tories withdrawing and a Communist standing.
Barnett was born in Lithuania to a Jewish family who moved to Wales to run a furniture shop before he was one. He was educated locally and at University College of Wales. He served in World War One in the Royal Garrison Artillery and was nearly gassed. He became a solicitor. Barnett was initially involved in the Comrades of the Great War organisation but joined the Liberals in 1921. In 1926, he was elected to the Board of Deputies of British Jews as a committed Zionist. In 1929 he came third at Cardiff Central. In 1930 he moved to London to help run his father-in-law's furniture business and stood at a by-election in Whitechapel which had a sizeable Jewish population. He campaigned on the issue of government policy on Palestine. He came close in a four-cornered contest.
Barnett championed the plight of the German Jews.
In 1935 Barnett was fairly narrowly defeated in a straight fight.
Barnett joined Labour soon afterwards. He was an ARP warden in London during World War Two. In 1945 he unseated the National Labour MP Harold Nicolson at Leicester West. When the seat was broken up in 1950 he won the new seat of Leicester North West holding it fairly comfortably until he passed it on to his son Greville in 1970.
Barnett was knighted in 1961 and elevated to the peerage as Baron Janner when he stood down.
Barnett was a heavy-set and well-dressed man. He was a good speaker.
He died in 1982 aged 89.
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