Alexander Gordon Cameron
Encyclopedia
Alexander Gordon Cameron (1876 – 30 May 1944) was a British
trades unionist and Labour Party
politician.
Cameron was born in Oban
, Argyll
, and served his apprenticeship as a joiner in Glasgow
. On becoming a journeyman
he moved to London, where he became an active member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, becoming the union's shipping delegate in 1912, and assistant general secretary in 1915, and general secretary in 1919. When the ASC&J became part of the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
in 1921, Cameron was its first general secretary.
He was nominated by his union as a parliamentary candidate for the Independent Labour Party
. After failing to become the prospective candidate for Glasgow Camlachie
in 1908, and the ASC&J declined an invitation to sponsor him as candidate for Coventry
in the following year. He stood unsuccessfully at Liverpool Kirkdale
at the January 1910 general election and again at a by-election later in the year. In the December 1910 general election
he was defeated at Jarrow
, where Labour lost to the Liberals
.
In 1914 Cameron was elected to the executive
of the Labour Party, a position he was to retain for many years. In 1917 he was appointed by the Coalition Government to be a one of the Scottish members of the Commission on Industrial Unrest. In 1918
he again failed to be elected to parliament, this time at Woolwich West
.
In 1920 Cameron was part of the Labour Party delegation to the Second International
in Geneva
. He was elected chair of the Labour Party for 1920/21. In 1925 ill health led to his resigning from his posts as representative to the Socialist International and general secretary of the woodworkers' union.
At the 1929 general election
Cameron finally succeeded in being elected, becoming MP for Widnes
. He was however defeated at the next election in 1931
when there was a large swing against Labour.
Cameron retired from politics, and at the time of his death in a London hospital aged 67 in 1944, was described as a building contractor.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trades unionist and Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician.
Cameron was born in Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, and served his apprenticeship as a joiner in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. On becoming a journeyman
Journeyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
he moved to London, where he became an active member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, becoming the union's shipping delegate in 1912, and assistant general secretary in 1915, and general secretary in 1919. When the ASC&J became part of the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
The Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers was a British trades union representing carpenters, joiners and allied trades. The ASW was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of two smaller unions...
in 1921, Cameron was its first general secretary.
He was nominated by his union as a parliamentary candidate for the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
. After failing to become the prospective candidate for Glasgow Camlachie
Glasgow Camlachie (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Camlachie was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1955.It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
in 1908, and the ASC&J declined an invitation to sponsor him as candidate for Coventry
Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England and its successors, the House of Commons of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom....
in the following year. He stood unsuccessfully at Liverpool Kirkdale
Liverpool Kirkdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Kirkdale was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom covering Kirkdale, Liverpool. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Members of Parliament :...
at the January 1910 general election and again at a by-election later in the year. In the December 1910 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1910 (December)
The United Kingdom general election of December 1910 was held from 3 to 19 December. It was the last British election to be held over several days and the last to be held prior to the First World War ....
he was defeated at Jarrow
Jarrow (UK Parliament constituency)
Jarrow is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, where Labour lost to the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
.
In 1914 Cameron was elected to the executive
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
of the Labour Party, a position he was to retain for many years. In 1917 he was appointed by the Coalition Government to be a one of the Scottish members of the Commission on Industrial Unrest. In 1918
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
he again failed to be elected to parliament, this time at Woolwich West
Woolwich West (UK Parliament constituency)
Woolwich West was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It was based around Eltham, now in the London Borough of Greenwich in south-east London....
.
In 1920 Cameron was part of the Labour Party delegation to the Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He was elected chair of the Labour Party for 1920/21. In 1925 ill health led to his resigning from his posts as representative to the Socialist International and general secretary of the woodworkers' union.
At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
Cameron finally succeeded in being elected, becoming MP for Widnes
Widnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Widnes was a county constituency in England, based on the town of Widnes, in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
. He was however defeated at the next election in 1931
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
when there was a large swing against Labour.
Cameron retired from politics, and at the time of his death in a London hospital aged 67 in 1944, was described as a building contractor.