D. J. Williams (politician)
Encyclopedia
David James Williams was a British
miner and checkweighman who became a Labour Party
Member of Parliament
(MP).
to a South Wales family and went only to elementary school, leaving to work as a coal miner. Active in the South Wales Miners' Federation
, he was eventually promoted to the job of checkweighman, away from the coal face. In 1924 he wrote a Book as a result of his studies at Ruskin College in Oxford , which denouncing mine owners and the development of their combines in swallowing up the coal industry. The book was published by the Labour Publishing Company under the title "Capitalist Combination in the Coal Industry". H.Francis & D Smith, The Fed, A History Of The South Wales Miners In The Twentieth Century, Cardiff University Press,1998.
Rural District Council near Neath
as a Labour Party
candidate, and also elected to the Executive Council of the South Wales Miners' Federation. He was a member of a Miners' delegation to Russia, and also studied at the Central Labour College in London.
, the MP for Neath
, died in December 1944. As a local candidate, Williams won the sponsorship of the miners and was chosen to follow him; he was elected to Parliament at a by-election in May 1945
. At the 1945 general election
a few weeks later, his majority was among the highest in the country.
and voted against the Labour whip to end it. He denounced Welsh Nationalism
, supporting greater control of Wales by the rest of Britain, and lauded the Attlee government for its achievements in promoting full employment. In 1948 he agreed to speak to a group of miners on unofficial strike to urge them to accept a new wages settlement, which led to a solution of the dispute. Williams disliked the Soviet Union and denounced it for threatening the smaller nations of Europe.
Williams opposed the Macmillan government's application for Britain to join the European Economic Community
. In 1964, he urged the Conservative government to intervene in a dispute in the private Welsh steel industry by setting up a Court of Inquiry. Later that year Williams announced his retirement, stating that on medical advice his health would not stand up to another Parliament.
Williams and his wife Jenny, lived in Cilfrew on the outskirts of Neath.
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...
miner and checkweighman who became a 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...
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,...
(MP).
Coal mining career
Williams was born in Tairgwaith in the Amman ValleyRiver Amman
The River Amman is a river of south Wales, which joins the River Loughor at Pantyffynnon. The river gives its name to the town of Ammanford and the villages of Pontamman, Glanaman, Brynamman and Rhosaman. Garnant and Betws also lie in the Amman Valley....
to a South Wales family and went only to elementary school, leaving to work as a coal miner. Active in the South Wales Miners' Federation
South Wales Miners' Federation
The South Wales Miners' Federation , nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for miners in South Wales.The union was founded on 24 October 1898, following the defeat of the South Wales miners' strike of 1898...
, he was eventually promoted to the job of checkweighman, away from the coal face. In 1924 he wrote a Book as a result of his studies at Ruskin College in Oxford , which denouncing mine owners and the development of their combines in swallowing up the coal industry. The book was published by the Labour Publishing Company under the title "Capitalist Combination in the Coal Industry". H.Francis & D Smith, The Fed, A History Of The South Wales Miners In The Twentieth Century, Cardiff University Press,1998.
Political activity
In 1931 Williams was elected to PontardawePontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
Rural District Council near Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
as a 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...
candidate, and also elected to the Executive Council of the South Wales Miners' Federation. He was a member of a Miners' delegation to Russia, and also studied at the Central Labour College in London.
Election
Sir William JenkinsWilliam Jenkins (British politician)
Sir William Jenkins was a British Labour politician and trade union leader.Jenkins was the son of a coal miner and attended Glyncorrwg National School before taking up work on the railways at the age of 11½...
, the MP for Neath
Neath (UK Parliament constituency)
Neath is a 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 one Assembly Member by the first past the post system of election.- The Constituency of Neath :The constituency...
, died in December 1944. As a local candidate, Williams won the sponsorship of the miners and was chosen to follow him; he was elected to Parliament at a by-election in May 1945
Neath by-election, 1945
The Neath by-election, 1945, was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Neath in South Wales.Neath was considered a safe seat for the Labour Party and had been held by William Jenkins since the 1922 UK general election. No other candidate had stood in...
. 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...
a few weeks later, his majority was among the highest in the country.
Parliament
Williams was strongly opposed to continuing conscriptionConscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
and voted against the Labour whip to end it. He denounced Welsh Nationalism
Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which may include more Devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom.-Conquest:...
, supporting greater control of Wales by the rest of Britain, and lauded the Attlee government for its achievements in promoting full employment. In 1948 he agreed to speak to a group of miners on unofficial strike to urge them to accept a new wages settlement, which led to a solution of the dispute. Williams disliked the Soviet Union and denounced it for threatening the smaller nations of Europe.
Williams opposed the Macmillan government's application for Britain to join the European Economic Community
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. In 1964, he urged the Conservative government to intervene in a dispute in the private Welsh steel industry by setting up a Court of Inquiry. Later that year Williams announced his retirement, stating that on medical advice his health would not stand up to another Parliament.
Williams and his wife Jenny, lived in Cilfrew on the outskirts of Neath.