Edward Anthony Strauss
Encyclopedia
Edward Anthony Strauss (7 December 1862 – 25 March 1939) was an English corn, grain and hop merchant of German-Jewish background. He was a Liberal
, later Liberal National
Member of Parliament.
in London, the son of Joseph Strauss, a merchant from Southwark
. He was educated at King’s College London and at overseas institutions. He never married.
merchant in Southwark.
of Berkshire
in February 1905. At that time he had an address in Abingdon. He gained the seat for the Liberals at the 1906 general election
but lost in January 1910. However he was soon adopted as Parliamentary candidate for Southwark West
. Richard Causton
had been Liberal MP for the constituency from 1888 to January 1910, when he lost to Conservative
candidate William Henry Dunn. When Causton announced he did not intend to fight again Strauss replaced him and won the seat back from Dunn by the narrow margin of 18 votes, after a recount. At the time of this victory, Strauss was described as a hop merchant in Southwark who took a prominent interest in the work of the Hops Committee (a Parliamentary Select Committee which considered questions relating to hop growing, production and consumption). He was acknowledged as an authority on agricultural questions. and was particularly interested in the plight of smallholders
and the promotion of their rights.
to press for better defences against air raids on London.
Strauss’ West Southwark constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election
and he stood instead for the new seat of Southwark North
. He was designated a Coalition Liberal, standing in support of the Coalition government
of David Lloyd George
and had presumably been issued with the Coalition coupon
as he faced no official Unionist
opponent. However there were apparently Unionist objections to his candidacy because Lieutenant-General Sir John Harrington was invited to stand by local Conservatives as an Independent Unionist. Harrington agreed on the understanding that he was to be regarded as completely independent of party. Harrington had previously been a member of the recently formed right-wing National Party
. Also standing against Strauss was George Isaacs
for the Labour Party
and Mr J J Gebbett, a representative of the National Federation of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors or the Silver Badge Party
, an organisation which was later subsumed into the Royal British Legion. Strauss held the seat with a majority of 2,071 votes over Harrington with Isaacs third and Gebbett at the foot of the poll.
as a Lloyd George National Liberal
. He was opposed in a straight fight with Labour by Dr Leslie Haden-Guest
, the secretary and doctor to the former Labour delegation to Soviet Russia in 1920 and a London County Council
lor. The election took place against the backdrop of a set of poor local election results for Labour just two weeks before, when Labour lost all their councillors in Southwark. Strauss held his seat with a majority of 1,112.
In 1923
Strauss, now described as a plain Liberal without prefix of suffix, again faced a straight fight against Labour’s Leslie Haden-Guest. This time, despite the reunion of the Lloyd George and Asquithian Liberals, and the gains the Liberal Party made overall, Strauss was beaten, albeit by the narrow margin of 362 votes. At the 1924 general election
Strauss tried to win his seat back, this time in a three-cornered contest with Haden-Guest and Mr J J Llewellin for the Conservatives. Despite what was reported as a strenuous effort to regain his seat, Strauss lost by 1,030 votes, the intervention of the Unionist (who polled 3,305 votes) probably helping to deprive him of victory.
. Haden-Guest then chose to resign also from Parliament and cause a by-election in which he sought re-election. He obtained the support of the local Conservative Party in Southwark but stood as an Independent Constitutionalist. He was opposed by Strauss for the Liberals and George Isaacs for Labour. Haden-Guest may not have anticipated the Liberal intervention in the by-election which he wanted to contest as a straight fight between a socialist and an anti-socialist candidate. He had envisaged his by-election as a chance to ask working class voters in particular to choose his brand of ‘patriotism’ over the attitude of the Labour Party. In the event, Strauss profited from the split in the socialist vote gained the seat with a majority of 1,167 over Isaacs with Haden-Guest in third place with less than 20% of the poll.
Strauss again faced George Isaacs as his Labour opponent, as well as a Conservative, Marcus Samuel. The election contest was obviously a bitter one as Strauss announced he was cancelling all his public meetings which he claimed were being systematically disrupted and speakers being howled down by Labour Party supporters. This time Isaacs won the seat, by the narrow margin of 432 votes – the intervention of the Conservative candidate again splitting the anti-Labour vote.
supported by a small number of National Labour MPs and initially backed by the Conservative and Liberal parties. However most Liberals had concerns about supporting the National coalition over the long run because of the government’s commitment to protectionism and tariffs in opposition to the traditional Liberal policy of Free Trade
. Despite these worries, the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
agreed to go into the 1931 general election
supporting the government. As a result Strauss found himself the representative of the coalition against Labour in Southwark North at the election, Marcus Samuel having agreed to stand aside. This time, with no Conservative to split the anti-Labour vote and the great popularity of the National Government as a result of the economic crisis, Strauss won back the seat in a straight fight with Isaacs by a majority of 5,992 taking 65% of the poll.
As the initial crisis passed, the Liberal Party became increasingly anxious about the government’s stance on Free Trade and worried about the predominance of the Conservatives in the coalition. However a group of Liberal MPs led by Sir John Simon who were concerned to ensure the National Government had a wide cross-party base formed the Liberal National Party to give more open support to MacDonald’s administration. Strauss was not one of the original members of this group but by 1932 he had become identified with it. By October 1932, Strauss was writing openly to Herbert Samuel expressing the view that the Liberal Party could not be revived by adopting the slogan ‘Back to Free Trade’ and that this policy was only one of a number of important issues which needed the government action.
Even though he was by now 73 years of age, Strauss again stood for re-election in Southwark North as a Liberal National
at the 1935 general election
. Having been deprived of the seat by small majorities in the past, Strauss was this time the lucky one, squeaking home in another straight fight with Isaacs by just 79 votes. However his age and state of health told upon him and he decided to step down from Parliament at the next election.
for the counties of London
and Berkshire. He was also appointed a Freeman and Liveryman
of the City of London
and Warden of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners
. In 1925, Strauss was nominated as Sheriff
of Berkshire.
, i.e. that Strauss had failed to carry out the promises on which he had been elected an MP. Mr Macgillicuddy, who conducted his own case, said he was seeking costs to cover his expenses (e.g. correspondence and printing) in bringing to Strauss’ attention his failure to carry out his election pledges. However Judge Granger ruled that Macgillicuddy had no evidence of a contract or formal agreement with Strauss which Strauss could be found to have breached and no doubt politicians everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.
. The problems had been caused by an accumulation of factors including default by debtors due to the fall in the market price of grain, government interference with the companies’ trade with the USA, cash-flow difficulties and bad decision making in management. While Strauss sought to distance himself from responsibility for these failures saying he had not been personally involved in the day-to-day affairs of the companies for many years, he was nevertheless brought low financially by it. His property and its contents at Kingston Bagpuize
, in Berkshire where he had planted hop gardens and erected modern kilns producing high-class hops had to be sold off to raise funds by the liquidators as did commercial properties in London. In the 1935 general election campaign, Strauss had to issue a statement explaining his financial misfortunes and conceding that he was now ‘an impoverished man’.
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...
, later Liberal National
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
Member of Parliament.
Family and education
Edward Strauss was born in HighburyHighbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
in London, the son of Joseph Strauss, a merchant from Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. He was educated at King’s College London and at overseas institutions. He never married.
Career
At an early age he took over his father’s business together with his brother. By 1910 he was described as a hopHop (plant)
Humulus, Hop, is a small genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers of H. lupulus are known as hops, and are used as a culinary flavoring and stabilizer, especially in the brewing of beer...
merchant in Southwark.
1905–1910
Strauss was adopted as Liberal candidate for the Northern or Abingdon DivisionAbingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
Abingdon was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , electing one Member of Parliament from 1558 until 1983...
of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in February 1905. At that time he had an address in Abingdon. He gained the seat for the Liberals at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
but lost in January 1910. However he was soon adopted as Parliamentary candidate for Southwark West
Southwark West (UK Parliament constituency)
Southwark West was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Southwark district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. Richard Causton
Richard Causton, 1st Baron Southwark
Richard Knight Causton, 1st Baron Southwark PC, DL was an English stationer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1880 and 1910...
had been Liberal MP for the constituency from 1888 to January 1910, when he lost to Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate William Henry Dunn. When Causton announced he did not intend to fight again Strauss replaced him and won the seat back from Dunn by the narrow margin of 18 votes, after a recount. At the time of this victory, Strauss was described as a hop merchant in Southwark who took a prominent interest in the work of the Hops Committee (a Parliamentary Select Committee which considered questions relating to hop growing, production and consumption). He was acknowledged as an authority on agricultural questions. and was particularly interested in the plight of smallholders
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
and the promotion of their rights.
1910–1918
In 1916, Strauss was a member of a deputation to the War Minister, Lord KitchenerHerbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
to press for better defences against air raids on London.
Strauss’ West Southwark constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election
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...
and he stood instead for the new seat of Southwark North
Southwark North (UK Parliament constituency)
Southwark North was a parliamentary constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark, in South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. He was designated a Coalition Liberal, standing in support of the Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and had presumably been issued with the Coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
as he faced no official Unionist
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opponent. However there were apparently Unionist objections to his candidacy because Lieutenant-General Sir John Harrington was invited to stand by local Conservatives as an Independent Unionist. Harrington agreed on the understanding that he was to be regarded as completely independent of party. Harrington had previously been a member of the recently formed right-wing National Party
National Party (UK, 1917)
The National Party was a short-lived British political party created in August 1917 as a right-wing split from the Conservative Party.-Formation:...
. Also standing against Strauss was George Isaacs
George Isaacs
George Alfred Isaacs JP DL was a British politician and trades unionist who served in the government of Clement Attlee....
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...
and Mr J J Gebbett, a representative of the National Federation of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors or the Silver Badge Party
Silver Badge Party
The Silver Badge Party was the unofficial title for a political movement existing in the United Kingdom during and immediately after World War I. The unofficial party consisted of several groups representing the political interests of former service personnel who had fought in the war...
, an organisation which was later subsumed into the Royal British Legion. Strauss held the seat with a majority of 2,071 votes over Harrington with Isaacs third and Gebbett at the foot of the poll.
1922–1924
Strauss stood at the 1922 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
as a Lloyd George National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
. He was opposed in a straight fight with Labour by Dr Leslie Haden-Guest
Leslie Haden-Guest, 1st Baron Haden-Guest
Leslie Haden Haden-Guest, 1st Baron Haden-Guest MC was a British author, journalist, doctor and Labour Party politician.-Life and career:...
, the secretary and doctor to the former Labour delegation to Soviet Russia in 1920 and a London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
lor. The election took place against the backdrop of a set of poor local election results for Labour just two weeks before, when Labour lost all their councillors in Southwark. Strauss held his seat with a majority of 1,112.
In 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
Strauss, now described as a plain Liberal without prefix of suffix, again faced a straight fight against Labour’s Leslie Haden-Guest. This time, despite the reunion of the Lloyd George and Asquithian Liberals, and the gains the Liberal Party made overall, Strauss was beaten, albeit by the narrow margin of 362 votes. At the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
Strauss tried to win his seat back, this time in a three-cornered contest with Haden-Guest and Mr J J Llewellin for the Conservatives. Despite what was reported as a strenuous effort to regain his seat, Strauss lost by 1,030 votes, the intervention of the Unionist (who polled 3,305 votes) probably helping to deprive him of victory.
By-election, 1927
Strauss was handed an unusual opportunity to re-enter Parliament in 1927 when Haden-Guest resigned from the Parliamentary Labour Party in protest against the party’s opposition to government policy in China, which he believed placed British nationals in Shanghai at risk and was tantamount to an intervention in the Chinese Civil WarChinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. Haden-Guest then chose to resign also from Parliament and cause a by-election in which he sought re-election. He obtained the support of the local Conservative Party in Southwark but stood as an Independent Constitutionalist. He was opposed by Strauss for the Liberals and George Isaacs for Labour. Haden-Guest may not have anticipated the Liberal intervention in the by-election which he wanted to contest as a straight fight between a socialist and an anti-socialist candidate. He had envisaged his by-election as a chance to ask working class voters in particular to choose his brand of ‘patriotism’ over the attitude of the Labour Party. In the event, Strauss profited from the split in the socialist vote gained the seat with a majority of 1,167 over Isaacs with Haden-Guest in third place with less than 20% of the poll.
1929
At the 1929 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
Strauss again faced George Isaacs as his Labour opponent, as well as a Conservative, Marcus Samuel. The election contest was obviously a bitter one as Strauss announced he was cancelling all his public meetings which he claimed were being systematically disrupted and speakers being howled down by Labour Party supporters. This time Isaacs won the seat, by the narrow margin of 432 votes – the intervention of the Conservative candidate again splitting the anti-Labour vote.
Liberal National
In 1931 an economic crisis led to the formation of a National Government led by prime minister Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
supported by a small number of National Labour MPs and initially backed by the Conservative and Liberal parties. However most Liberals had concerns about supporting the National coalition over the long run because of the government’s commitment to protectionism and tariffs in opposition to the traditional Liberal policy of Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
. Despite these worries, the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Early years:...
agreed to go into the 1931 general election
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...
supporting the government. As a result Strauss found himself the representative of the coalition against Labour in Southwark North at the election, Marcus Samuel having agreed to stand aside. This time, with no Conservative to split the anti-Labour vote and the great popularity of the National Government as a result of the economic crisis, Strauss won back the seat in a straight fight with Isaacs by a majority of 5,992 taking 65% of the poll.
As the initial crisis passed, the Liberal Party became increasingly anxious about the government’s stance on Free Trade and worried about the predominance of the Conservatives in the coalition. However a group of Liberal MPs led by Sir John Simon who were concerned to ensure the National Government had a wide cross-party base formed the Liberal National Party to give more open support to MacDonald’s administration. Strauss was not one of the original members of this group but by 1932 he had become identified with it. By October 1932, Strauss was writing openly to Herbert Samuel expressing the view that the Liberal Party could not be revived by adopting the slogan ‘Back to Free Trade’ and that this policy was only one of a number of important issues which needed the government action.
Even though he was by now 73 years of age, Strauss again stood for re-election in Southwark North as a Liberal National
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...
at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
. Having been deprived of the seat by small majorities in the past, Strauss was this time the lucky one, squeaking home in another straight fight with Isaacs by just 79 votes. However his age and state of health told upon him and he decided to step down from Parliament at the next election.
Other public offices
Strauss served as a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the counties of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
and Berkshire. He was also appointed a Freeman and Liveryman
Livery Company
The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Warden of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners
Worshipful Company of Gardeners
The Worshipful Company of Gardeners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. An organisation of Gardeners existed in the middle of the fourteenth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1605. The Company no longer exists as a regulatory authority for the sale of produce in London;...
. In 1925, Strauss was nominated as Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Berkshire.
Election promises court case
In a case which, potentially, could have had far-reaching consequences for all democratically elected representatives, Strauss found himself in court in 1913 when one of his constituents, a Mr Arthur Macgillicuddy, brought an action against him to recover damages for alleged breach of contractBreach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
, i.e. that Strauss had failed to carry out the promises on which he had been elected an MP. Mr Macgillicuddy, who conducted his own case, said he was seeking costs to cover his expenses (e.g. correspondence and printing) in bringing to Strauss’ attention his failure to carry out his election pledges. However Judge Granger ruled that Macgillicuddy had no evidence of a contract or formal agreement with Strauss which Strauss could be found to have breached and no doubt politicians everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.
Financial troubles
Towards the end of his life, Strauss experienced financial difficulties because of the collapse of the grain and seed companies with which he was associated. Huge debts had been built up and the businesses were subject to compulsory liquidationLiquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
. The problems had been caused by an accumulation of factors including default by debtors due to the fall in the market price of grain, government interference with the companies’ trade with the USA, cash-flow difficulties and bad decision making in management. While Strauss sought to distance himself from responsibility for these failures saying he had not been personally involved in the day-to-day affairs of the companies for many years, he was nevertheless brought low financially by it. His property and its contents at Kingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize is a village in the civil parish of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, about west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes.-Geography:...
, in Berkshire where he had planted hop gardens and erected modern kilns producing high-class hops had to be sold off to raise funds by the liquidators as did commercial properties in London. In the 1935 general election campaign, Strauss had to issue a statement explaining his financial misfortunes and conceding that he was now ‘an impoverished man’.