Ben Parkin
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Theaker Parkin was a British
teacher and politician who served as Member of Parliament
for Stroud
and for Paddington North
. His Father Captain B D Parkin was Head Master of Stonehouse Council School Gloucestershire from 1912 to 1939 and Chairman of Stonehouse Parish Council Glos.
, from which he went to Lincoln College
, Oxford University
. He also studied at Strasbourg University, and became a teacher. By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, he was on the staff of his old college; he left to serve in the Royal Air Force
as Flight-Lieutenant.
at the 1945 general election
, becoming the first ever Labour MP for Stroud
. He was on the left of the party and was part of a delegation of Labour MPs who met Joseph Stalin
in 1947; when he voted against the Ireland Bill
, he was warned by the Chief Whip about his conduct.
, the Stroud constituency was abolished and Parkin was defeated by only 28 votes in the new Stroud and Thornbury
. He was contested he seat again at the 1951 election
, but lost again, this time by 1,582 votes. He was chosen to replace William Field
, who had resigned as MP for Paddington North following conviction for importuning, and won the resulting by-election in 1953. He made another visit to the Soviet Union
and one to the People's Republic of China
in 1954.
In 1956 he made the observation that, when telling the Chinese that he represented Paddington, they had responded by saying "That is where the Church owns the brothels, isn't it?"; Parkin pointed out this had a grain of truth. He was strongly in favour of removing street prostitution and also campaigned against drug abuse in the constituency.
, and others like him, calling for a system of licensing of private landlords. Parkin openly suspected that Rachman's reported death was merely a ploy to escape further scrutiny. He took up other housing issues including overcharging by Westminster City Council
when it took over local council housing in 1965.
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...
teacher and politician who served as 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,...
for Stroud
Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
Stroud 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....
and for Paddington North
Paddington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which 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...
. His Father Captain B D Parkin was Head Master of Stonehouse Council School Gloucestershire from 1912 to 1939 and Chairman of Stonehouse Parish Council Glos.
Early career
Parkin was educated at Wycliffe CollegeWycliffe College (Gloucestershire)
Wycliffe College is a co-educational independent school located in the town of Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, in the West of England. The school was founded in 1882 by GW Sibly, and comprises a Nursery School for ages 2 – 4, a Preparatory School for ages 4 – 13, and a Senior School catering for...
, from which he went to Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He also studied at Strasbourg University, and became a teacher. By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, he was on the staff of his old college; he left to serve in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as Flight-Lieutenant.
Parliament
Shortly before the end of the war Parkin was elected to Parliament for the Labour PartyLabour 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...
at the 1945 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...
, becoming the first ever Labour MP for Stroud
Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
Stroud 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....
. He was on the left of the party and was part of a delegation of Labour MPs who met 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...
in 1947; when he voted against the Ireland Bill
Ireland Act 1949
The Ireland Act 1949 is a British Act of Parliament that was intended to deal with the consequences of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed by the Irish parliament...
, he was warned by the Chief Whip about his conduct.
Paddington MP
At the 1950 general electionUnited 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...
, the Stroud constituency was abolished and Parkin was defeated by only 28 votes in the new Stroud and Thornbury
Stroud and Thornbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Stroud and Thornbury was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. He was contested he seat again at the 1951 election
United 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...
, but lost again, this time by 1,582 votes. He was chosen to replace William Field
William J. Field
William James Field was a British politician who found his career ruined by a conviction for "importuning for immoral purposes" in the 1950s. He was Labour Member of Parliament for Paddington North from 1946 to 1953....
, who had resigned as MP for Paddington North following conviction for importuning, and won the resulting by-election in 1953. He made another visit to 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....
and one to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1954.
In 1956 he made the observation that, when telling the Chinese that he represented Paddington, they had responded by saying "That is where the Church owns the brothels, isn't it?"; Parkin pointed out this had a grain of truth. He was strongly in favour of removing street prostitution and also campaigned against drug abuse in the constituency.
Rachman
Parkin's most prominent campaign was over housing conditions. He was vocal in calling attention to the misdeeds of property magnate Peter RachmanPeter Rachman
Peter Rachman was a London landlord in the Notting Hill area in the 1950s and 1960s. He became so notorious for his exploitation of tenants that the word "Rachmanism" entered the OED as a synonym for any greedy, unscrupulous landlord.-Career:Rachman was born Perec Rachman in Lvov, Poland in 1919,...
, and others like him, calling for a system of licensing of private landlords. Parkin openly suspected that Rachman's reported death was merely a ploy to escape further scrutiny. He took up other housing issues including overcharging by Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
when it took over local council housing in 1965.
Sources
- M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
- Obituary, "The Times", 4 June 1969.