Arthur Cecil Allen
Encyclopedia
Arthur Cecil Allen was a British
footwear
manufacturer, trade union
officer and Member of Parliament
. He served as an Opposition Whip
, but his most important position was as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Hugh Gaitskell
during the first few years as Leader of the Opposition.
, Northamptonshire
, and lived in the town of Higham Ferrers
. He attended only an elementary school before going into the local footwear industry. In 1952 he said he had begun in the boot and shoe industry at the age of 13, working 54½ hours a week, earning half a crown
a week.
In 1914 Allen married Polly Mary Bradshaw; they had a son and a daughter. He served in the Army
throughout the First World War
, being part of the expeditionary force sent to Salonica in 1915 and later serving in France
.
which he had joined in 1908. Under the sponsorship of the union he obtained a Trades Union Congress
sponsorship to study at Ruskin College, Oxford
where he obtained a diploma in economics and political science. He was elected to the Union's Executive in 1933, and was also active in local politics for the Labour Party
as chairman of Irthlingborough
Urban District Council and a member of Northamptonshire County Council. In 1937 Allen was elected a County Alderman
of Northamptonshire.
division, which was held by the Liberal Nationals
with a 7,000 majority although the sitting member did not seek re-election. In the ensuing general election
, he won the seat with a majority of 5,297 in line with national trends.
and made his maiden speech
when he reported back to the House of Commons
that the British administration was working well but that more coal and food were needed otherwise the German population would grow unwilling to cooperate. He was part of an unofficial mission of eight Labour MPs who visited Czechoslovakia
, Poland
, Yugoslavia
, and the Soviet Union
in 1947. In Russia he was able to have an interview with Joseph Stalin
.
; he also called for restraint "for the nation's sake" on the part of some politicians and journalists. However, he spoke at the annual conference of his union in May 1947 in opposition to a motion calling for Conservatives to be expelled in the same way as Communists, arguing that "it was just as well to be fair" and that Conservatives did not ban other parties from operating as Communists did.
Allen was seriously injured in a car accident at Irthlingborough on 7 January 1948 and had to have an operation. He had recovered in time for the 1950 general election
in which his Conservative opponent Major Anthony Cripps was the nephew of Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer
Sir Stafford Cripps
; Allen retained his seat with an improved majority after the intervention of a Liberal candidate. In the new Parliament, Sir Stafford Cripps appointed Allen to be his Parliamentary Private Secretary
.
In June 1950, Allen helped to defend Cripps against a Conservative motion which called for the United Kingdom to participate in negotiations on the "Schuman Plan
" to organise European coal and steel production. He sponsored an amendment which refused to enter undefined commitments and stressed the importance of the Commonwealth. After Cripps' sudden resignation, his successor as Chancellor Hugh Gaitskell
kept Allen on as his Parliamentary Private Secretary; Allen had also worked for Gaitskell in Gaitskell's previous position as Minister of State for Economic Affairs.
, with a majority of 7,645 in a straight fight with the Conservative Party candidate. He was appointed an Opposition Whip in the new session. His new role restricted his ability to speak in the House of Commons, but Allen kept up his activity. He was appointed as a substitute member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
in 1952.
, adopted unanimously on 31 May. He died in Kettering
aged 94.
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...
footwear
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
manufacturer, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
officer and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. He served as an Opposition Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, but his most important position was as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
during the first few years as Leader of the Opposition.
Origins
Allen was born in WellingboroughWellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and lived in the town of Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
. He attended only an elementary school before going into the local footwear industry. In 1952 he said he had begun in the boot and shoe industry at the age of 13, working 54½ hours a week, earning half a crown
British Half Crown coin
The half crown was a denomination of British money worth half of a crown, equivalent to two and a half shillings , or one-eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI...
a week.
In 1914 Allen married Polly Mary Bradshaw; they had a son and a daughter. He served in the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
throughout the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, being part of the expeditionary force sent to Salonica in 1915 and later serving in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Trade unionism
Returning to Northamptonshire, Allen resumed his previous occupation and became active in the National Union of Boot and Shoe OperativesNational Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives
The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives was a trade union in the United Kingdom.The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and finishers left the Amalgamated Association of Boot and Shoemakers . They were dissatisfied by their low status within the old union, and instead formed the...
which he had joined in 1908. Under the sponsorship of the union he obtained a Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
sponsorship to study at Ruskin College, Oxford
Ruskin College, Oxford
Ruskin College is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is named after the essayist and social critic John Ruskin and specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications...
where he obtained a diploma in economics and political science. He was elected to the Union's Executive in 1933, and was also active in local politics for the 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...
as chairman of Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough , originally called Artleborough, is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 6,179 people according to the 2001 census. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds. The parish...
Urban District Council and a member of Northamptonshire County Council. In 1937 Allen was elected a County Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Northamptonshire.
Election to Parliament
Allen was adopted in April 1945 as the Labour Party candidate for the BosworthBosworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bosworth is a county 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:...
division, which was held by the Liberal Nationals
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
with a 7,000 majority although the sitting member did not seek re-election. In the ensuing general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, he won the seat with a majority of 5,297 in line with national trends.
Foreign tours
He was happier being active behind the scenes in Parliament than he was taking a front rank position, and was a member of several important delegations to foreign countries. In 1946 he visited occupied GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
when he reported back to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
that the British administration was working well but that more coal and food were needed otherwise the German population would grow unwilling to cooperate. He was part of an unofficial mission of eight Labour MPs who visited Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1947. In Russia he was able to have an interview with Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
Economic policy
In matters of economics, Allen strongly supported the unity of the Labour Party with the Trade Unions, speaking in 1948 of how it was essential for full employmentFull employment
In macroeconomics, full employment is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so....
; he also called for restraint "for the nation's sake" on the part of some politicians and journalists. However, he spoke at the annual conference of his union in May 1947 in opposition to a motion calling for Conservatives to be expelled in the same way as Communists, arguing that "it was just as well to be fair" and that Conservatives did not ban other parties from operating as Communists did.
Relationship to Cripps
Allen was seriously injured in a car accident at Irthlingborough on 7 January 1948 and had to have an operation. He had recovered in time for the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
in which his Conservative opponent Major Anthony Cripps was the nephew of Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Sir Stafford Cripps
Stafford Cripps
Sir Richard Stafford Cripps was a British Labour politician of the first half of the 20th century. During World War II he served in a number of positions in the wartime coalition, including Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Minister of Aircraft Production...
; Allen retained his seat with an improved majority after the intervention of a Liberal candidate. In the new Parliament, Sir Stafford Cripps appointed Allen to be his Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
.
In June 1950, Allen helped to defend Cripps against a Conservative motion which called for the United Kingdom to participate in negotiations on the "Schuman Plan
Schuman Declaration
The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 was a governmental proposal by then-French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to create a new form of organization of States in Europe called a supranational Community. Following the experiences of two world wars, France recognized that certain values such as...
" to organise European coal and steel production. He sponsored an amendment which refused to enter undefined commitments and stressed the importance of the Commonwealth. After Cripps' sudden resignation, his successor as Chancellor Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
kept Allen on as his Parliamentary Private Secretary; Allen had also worked for Gaitskell in Gaitskell's previous position as Minister of State for Economic Affairs.
Opposition Whip
Allen was again re-elected in the 1951 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, with a majority of 7,645 in a straight fight with the Conservative Party candidate. He was appointed an Opposition Whip in the new session. His new role restricted his ability to speak in the House of Commons, but Allen kept up his activity. He was appointed as a substitute member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
in 1952.
Relationship with Gaitskell
When Hugh Gaitskell was elected as Leader of the Labour Party, he took Allen out of the Opposition Whips' office to serve as his Parliamentary Private Secretary once again. Allen, who was a party loyalist who never broke the Labour Party whip, maintained relationships between Gaitskell and Labour Party backbenchers. A speech by Allen was a rarity, and when speaking from the benefit of experience in February 1958 in favour of a statutory wages policy in order not to let too much money loose in the economy, it was the first speech he had made for six years. Allen believed that stable money was needed in order to get full employment. In 1958 he was a member of a Private Bill Committee on two Bills dealing with private Water companies which sat for the longest time in sixty years.Retirement
In March 1959 Allen announced that he would not seek re-election. His successor was Woodrow WyattWoodrow Wyatt
Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Baron Wyatt of Weeford , was a British politician, published author, journalist and broadcaster, close to the Queen Mother, Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch...
, adopted unanimously on 31 May. He died in Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
aged 94.