Gordon Lang
Encyclopedia
Rev. Gordon Lang was a Welsh
Congregationalist
minister and Labour Party
politician. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Oldham
from 1929
to 1931
, and for Stalybridge and Hyde from 1945
to 1951
.
Lang was born in Monmouth
, and attended the town's grammar school
and Cheshunt College. He combined his pastoral work with political activity including being honorary secretary of the United Europe Movement and a leading member of the Proportional Representation Society
.
he was nominated as one of two Labour candidates for the two-seat Oldham
constituency along with James Wilson
. The election saw a large swing to the party, and Lang and Wilson were elected, unseating the two sitting members (one Conservative
and one Liberal
.)
Following the collapse of the second Labour Government and the formation of a National Government, a further general election
was held in 1931. Lang and Wilson defended their seats against two government candidates, but were heavily defeated. Lang stood at Oldham again at the next general election in 1935
, but failed to regain the seat for Labour.
, the Conservative MP for Stalybridge and Hyde retired due to ill health. Lang was chosen to contest the ensuing byelection, which was a straight fight with Horace Trevor-Cox
, Conservative and National Government candidate. Lang came close to taking the seat, reducing the Conservative majority in 1935 of 5,081 to just 334.
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, elections were postponed
. It was not until 1945 that another general election
was held. Lang and Trevor-Cox were again the candidates of the Labour and Conservative parties respectively, joined by a Liberal
candidate, Donald Burden. There was a Labour landslide, and Lang was comfortably elected with a majority of 4,370 votes. He held the seat at the next general election in 1950
. The result of the election was a slender Labour majority, and a further election was called in 1951
. Lang announced that we would not contest the election due to ill health, and retired form the Commons.
. He died at his home in Chepstow
in June 1981, aged 88.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
minister and 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...
politician. He 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 Oldham
Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
from 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
to 1931
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...
, and for Stalybridge and Hyde from 1945
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...
to 1951
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...
.
Lang was born in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, and attended the town's grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and Cheshunt College. He combined his pastoral work with political activity including being honorary secretary of the United Europe Movement and a leading member of the Proportional Representation Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
.
MP for Oldham
In 1929United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
he was nominated as one of two Labour candidates for the two-seat Oldham
Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
constituency along with James Wilson
James Wilson (UK Labour politician)
James Wilson was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Dudley from 1921 to 1922,and for Oldham from 1929 to 1931.- External links :...
. The election saw a large swing to the party, and Lang and Wilson were elected, unseating the two sitting members (one 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...
and one 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...
.)
Following the collapse of the second Labour Government and the formation of a National Government, a further 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...
was held in 1931. Lang and Wilson defended their seats against two government candidates, but were heavily defeated. Lang stood at Oldham again at the next general election in 1935
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...
, but failed to regain the seat for Labour.
MP for Stalybridge and Hyde
In 1937, Philip DunnePhilip Russell Rendel Dunne
Captain Philip Russell Rendel Dunne, MC was an English soldier and politician.Lord of the Manor of Leinthall Earls....
, the Conservative MP for Stalybridge and Hyde retired due to ill health. Lang was chosen to contest the ensuing byelection, which was a straight fight with Horace Trevor-Cox
Horace Trevor-Cox
Horace Brimson Trevor-Cox was a British farmer, landowner and politician who served from 1937 to 1945 as a Conservative Member of Parliament , but left the Conservatives in the 1960s and subsequently joined the Labour Party.Born in Birkenhead and brought up near Chester, his father was a...
, Conservative and National Government candidate. Lang came close to taking the seat, reducing the Conservative majority in 1935 of 5,081 to just 334.
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, elections were postponed
Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Act 1939
The Local Elections and Register of Electors Act 1939 was a war time Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that postponed local elections and the preparation of registers of electors...
. It was not until 1945 that another 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...
was held. Lang and Trevor-Cox were again the candidates of the Labour and Conservative parties respectively, joined by a 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...
candidate, Donald Burden. There was a Labour landslide, and Lang was comfortably elected with a majority of 4,370 votes. He held the seat at the next general election in 1950
United 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 result of the election was a slender Labour majority, and a further election was called in 1951
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...
. Lang announced that we would not contest the election due to ill health, and retired form the Commons.
After politics
Lang continued in his ministry, and was appointed chaplain to the Showmen's Guild of Great BritainShowmen's Guild of Great Britain
The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain exists to protect the interests of travelling showmen at funfairs in Great Britain.The Showmen's Guild was originally founded as the United Kingdom Van Dwellers Protection Association in 1889 in Salford...
. He died at his home in Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
in June 1981, aged 88.