George Oliver (politician)
Encyclopedia
George Harold Oliver QC
(24 November 1888 – 22 September 1984) was a British
engineer, barrister
and politician who was for a long time Member of Parliament
(MP) for Ilkeston
and served briefly as a junior government minister.
and educated at Holy Trinity School in the town. He became an engineer working as a gear cutter for Rolls Royce
, and when the works were moved to Derby
, he moved with them. He also joined the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
and became shop steward
of the works; his union activity brought him into the Labour Party
and was elected to Derby Town Council as a Labour Party candidate. As an engineering worker he was not called up to fight in the First World War.
Oliver fought Ilkeston
, an area not far from Derby. He enjoyed a straight fight with J. E. B. Seely
, a Coalition Liberal
, but lost by 1,698 votes. He remained involved in the constituency; from 1921, he was organising agent of the Worker's Union. He was adopted again as candidate for the 1922 general election
; this time he was successful by 1,084.
, and during the Labour government he seconded a motion calling for a national minimum wage
. He also supported exemption from entertainments duty for charitable entertainments. After the Labour government lost a vote of no confidence, Oliver was again re-elected in the 1924 general election
. He had determined to retrain as a trade union lawyer, and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple
in 1927. Shortly after he persuaded the Home Secretary to halt the planned hanging of one of his constituents who had been convicted of murder.
In March 1930 Oliver initiated a debate on the development of civilian air transport. He supported opening cinemas on Sundays, and also supported restrictions on the use of motor cars in elections, arguing that it was taking the opportunity to adjust the balance between rich and poor. However, Oliver could not survive the Conservative landslide at the 1931 general election
: he lost by only two votes in the equal closest election result during universal franchise.
artificial silk
factory at Spondon
in 1934. At the 1935 general election
he regained his seat by 10,601 votes.
When selected to introduce a Private Member's Bill
in February 1936, Oliver chose to bring in a Bill to extend the jurisdiction of County Courts. He was also involved in the Labour Party conference in 1939, when he moved the expulsion from the party of Aneurin Bevan
and three others because of their involvement in the 'Patriotic Front' movement attempting to build an alliance with the Communist Party of Great Britain
. In 1943 he was chair of the Labour Party Conference Arrangements Committee.
government in August 1945. He acted as chairman of a departmental committee looking into the electoral registration system from 1945 to 1947, which recommended a return to the system of street canvassing to get people registered to vote. He left the government in October 1947. In 1949 he was appointed as a King's Counsel
.
Boundary changes gave him a very safe seat and in the 1951 general election
his majority of 30,398 was the fourth largest in the country. In February 1952 he was chosen to be one of the members of the House of Commons to call on the Queen Mother
to extend Parliament's condolences on the death of King George VI
.
, but lived to be 95.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(24 November 1888 – 22 September 1984) was a British
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...
engineer, barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and politician who was for a long time 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 Ilkeston
Ilkeston (UK Parliament constituency)
Ilkeston is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Member of Parliament...
and served briefly as a junior government minister.
Early career
Oliver was born in BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and educated at Holy Trinity School in the town. He became an engineer working as a gear cutter for Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
, and when the works were moved to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, he moved with them. He also joined the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
and became shop steward
Union steward
A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company, who represents and defends the interests of her/his fellow employees but who is also a labor union official...
of the works; his union activity brought him into 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 was elected to Derby Town Council as a Labour Party candidate. As an engineering worker he was not called up to fight in the First World War.
Parliamentary candidate
At the 1918 general electionUnited 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...
Oliver fought Ilkeston
Ilkeston (UK Parliament constituency)
Ilkeston is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Member of Parliament...
, an area not far from Derby. He enjoyed a straight fight with J. E. B. Seely
J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone
John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone CB, CMG, DSO, PC, TD was a British soldier and politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1900 to 1904 and a Liberal MP from 1904 to 1922 and from 1923 to 1924...
, a Coalition Liberal
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...
, but lost by 1,698 votes. He remained involved in the constituency; from 1921, he was organising agent of the Worker's Union. He was adopted again as candidate for the 1922 general election
United 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...
; this time he was successful by 1,084.
Retraining
He was re-elected in 1923United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and during the Labour government he seconded a motion calling for a national minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
. He also supported exemption from entertainments duty for charitable entertainments. After the Labour government lost a vote of no confidence, Oliver was again re-elected in the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. He had determined to retrain as a trade union lawyer, and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1927. Shortly after he persuaded the Home Secretary to halt the planned hanging of one of his constituents who had been convicted of murder.
In March 1930 Oliver initiated a debate on the development of civilian air transport. He supported opening cinemas on Sundays, and also supported restrictions on the use of motor cars in elections, arguing that it was taking the opportunity to adjust the balance between rich and poor. However, Oliver could not survive the Conservative landslide at 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...
: he lost by only two votes in the equal closest election result during universal franchise.
Out of Parliament
Out of Parliament, Oliver worked as a Barrister for the Transport and General Workers Union. He acted for the union at an inquest into the poisoning deaths of three workers at the British CelaneseBritish Celanese
British Celanese was a chemical company based in England. Formed in 1918 it survived as an independent company until 1957 when it became a subsidiary of Courtaulds.-History:...
artificial silk
Rayon
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic or artificial fiber. Rayon is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry...
factory at Spondon
Spondon
Spondon is a ward within the city of Derby. Prior to this, Spondon was a separate village which dated from before the Domesday Book of 1086.-Description:The name Spondon is Anglo-Saxon and describes a gravelly hill....
in 1934. 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...
he regained his seat by 10,601 votes.
When selected to introduce a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
in February 1936, Oliver chose to bring in a Bill to extend the jurisdiction of County Courts. He was also involved in the Labour Party conference in 1939, when he moved the expulsion from the party of Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
and three others because of their involvement in the 'Patriotic Front' movement attempting to build an alliance with the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. In 1943 he was chair of the Labour Party Conference Arrangements Committee.
Minister
Oliver was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office in the AttleeClement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
government in August 1945. He acted as chairman of a departmental committee looking into the electoral registration system from 1945 to 1947, which recommended a return to the system of street canvassing to get people registered to vote. He left the government in October 1947. In 1949 he was appointed as a King's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
Boundary changes gave him a very safe seat and in the 1951 general 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...
his majority of 30,398 was the fourth largest in the country. In February 1952 he was chosen to be one of the members of the House of Commons to call on the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
to extend Parliament's condolences on the death of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
.
Elder statesman
As an elder statesman, Oliver began to cast more dissenting votes. In July 1960 he supported a Conservative government motion supporting political and economic unity in Europe. In 1963 he was named to a committee investigating the pay for Members of Parliament. Oliver stood down at the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, but lived to be 95.
Sources
- M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
- "Who Was Who", A & C Black
- "The Times House of Commons, 1929"