Ernest Thurtle
Encyclopedia
Ernest Thurtle was a British
Labour
politician.
Thurtle worked as am accountant and salesman. He saw service in the army in World War I
and was badly wounded at the Battle of Cambrai.
In 1912 he married Dorothy, daughter of George Lansbury
, leader of the Labour Party in the 1930s.
Thurtle contested South West Bethnal Green
and Shoreditch
without success, and was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Shoreditch
, London
from 1923-31 and 1935-50, then Shoreditch and Finsbury
from 1950 until his death.
Thurtle's greatest achievement in Parliament
was to bring about the abolition of the death penalty for cowardice or desertion in the British Army
. With over 300 British soldiers shot by firing squad after brief trials during the First World War
, Thurtle first introduced the measure for abolition in 1924, which became Labour party policy in 1925 and eventually approved by the House of Commons by the Labour government in 1930. Supporters of the measure included T E Lawrence
(Lawrence of Arabia) but the abolition was rejected at first by the House of Lords
who were encouraged in their resistance by various retired generals including Lord Allenby. The House of Commons insisted and the measure was enacted.
The argument that it would reduce the determination of the soldiers was countered by the fact that the Australians had always made it clear when they joined the war effort, that none of their men were to be executed for these crimes. No Australians were shot for cowardice or desertion and yet it was clear that their troops had been as effective as any others in the war. Thurtle continued to be involved in ex-servicemen's associations.
Thurtle was a Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Minister of Pensions in 1924, a Labour whip
1930-31 and a junior minister at the Ministry of Information from 1941 to 1945. He was also a journalist and author.
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...
Labour
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.
Thurtle worked as am accountant and salesman. He saw service in the army in World War I
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...
and was badly wounded at the Battle of Cambrai.
In 1912 he married Dorothy, daughter of George Lansbury
George Lansbury
George Lansbury was a British politician, socialist, Christian pacifist and newspaper editor. He was a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1912 and from 1922 to 1940, and leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935....
, leader of the Labour Party in the 1930s.
Thurtle contested South West Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green South West was a constituency in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
and Shoreditch
Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency)
Shoreditch was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Shoreditch district of the East End of London. 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.The constituency was created for the...
without success, and was 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) for Shoreditch
Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency)
Shoreditch was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Shoreditch district of the East End of London. 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.The constituency was created for the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1923-31 and 1935-50, then Shoreditch and Finsbury
Shoreditch and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shoreditch and Finsbury was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Shoreditch district of the East End of London and the adjacent Finsbury area...
from 1950 until his death.
Thurtle's greatest achievement in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
was to bring about the abolition of the death penalty for cowardice or desertion in the British 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...
. With over 300 British soldiers shot by firing squad after brief trials during 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...
, Thurtle first introduced the measure for abolition in 1924, which became Labour party policy in 1925 and eventually approved by the House of Commons by the Labour government in 1930. Supporters of the measure included T E Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
(Lawrence of Arabia) but the abolition was rejected at first by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
who were encouraged in their resistance by various retired generals including Lord Allenby. The House of Commons insisted and the measure was enacted.
The argument that it would reduce the determination of the soldiers was countered by the fact that the Australians had always made it clear when they joined the war effort, that none of their men were to be executed for these crimes. No Australians were shot for cowardice or desertion and yet it was clear that their troops had been as effective as any others in the war. Thurtle continued to be involved in ex-servicemen's associations.
Thurtle was a 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 the Minister of Pensions in 1924, a Labour 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...
1930-31 and a junior minister at the Ministry of Information from 1941 to 1945. He was also a journalist and author.