John Buckle
Encyclopedia
John Buckle was a British
trade union
ist and Labour Party
politician.
Buckle was an official in the National Union of Shoe and Boot Operatives
, and was the first Labour alderman
on Leeds City Council
. In 1908 he was one of three members of the union who were nominated as parliamentary candidates. In the event he did not in fact contest an election until 1922. By 1915 he had become president of the Shoe and Boot Operatives.
By 1919 he had moved to Leicester
. In that year he was appointed by the Minister of Labour
to the Trade Board for the Shoe and Boot Repairing Trade as a workers' representative. In 1922 he was the travelling organiser for his union and the society's principal negotiator.
In the general election of 1922
he was elected to the Commons as member of parliament
for the Eccles Division of Lancashire
, unseating the Conservative
incumbent, Marshall Stevens
. He held the seat when a further election was held in 1923
. Although his total number of votes fell from 14,354 to 12,227 he was able to increase his majority over Stevens from 1,803 to 1,863 with the anti-Labour vote split by the presence of a Liberal Party
candidate. A minority Labour government
that was formed following the election collapsed in October 1924, necessitating a further general election
. Although he managed to increase his vote, Buckle was defeated in a straight fight by the Conservative candidate Albert Bethel
by over 2,000 votes. He died in the following year.
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...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist 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.
Buckle was an official in the National Union of Shoe and Boot Operatives
National Union of Knitwear, Footwear & Apparel Trades
The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear & Apparel Trades was a trade union in the United Kingdom.It was formed in 1991 through the amalgamation of the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers and the National Union of the Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades...
, and was the first Labour alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on Leeds City Council
County Borough of Leeds
The County Borough of Leeds, and its predecessor, the Municipal Borough of Leeds, was a local government district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, from 1835 to 1974. Its origin was the ancient borough of Leeds, which was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835...
. In 1908 he was one of three members of the union who were nominated as parliamentary candidates. In the event he did not in fact contest an election until 1922. By 1915 he had become president of the Shoe and Boot Operatives.
By 1919 he had moved to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. In that year he was appointed by the Minister of Labour
Secretary of State for Employment
The Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with Secretary of State for Education to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment...
to the Trade Board for the Shoe and Boot Repairing Trade as a workers' representative. In 1922 he was the travelling organiser for his union and the society's principal negotiator.
In the general election of 1922
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...
he was elected to the Commons as 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,...
for the Eccles Division of Lancashire
Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)
Eccles was a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester, England. 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 system.- History :The constituency...
, unseating the 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...
incumbent, Marshall Stevens
Marshall Stevens
Marshall Stevens was an English property developer. His work with Daniel Adamson and others led to the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, completed in 1894, and he was appointed general manager of the Ship Canal Company in 1891...
. He held the seat when a further election was held in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. Although his total number of votes fell from 14,354 to 12,227 he was able to increase his majority over Stevens from 1,803 to 1,863 with the anti-Labour vote split by the presence of a Liberal Party
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. A minority Labour government
First Labour Government
The First Labour Government of the United Kingdom lasted from January to November 1924. The Labour Party, under James Ramsay MacDonald, had failed to win the general election of December 1923, with 191 seats, although the combined Opposition tally exceeded that of the Conservative government...
that was formed following the election collapsed in October 1924, necessitating a further general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. Although he managed to increase his vote, Buckle was defeated in a straight fight by the Conservative candidate Albert Bethel
Albert Bethel
Albert Bethel was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Eccles at the 1924 general election, but was defeated at the 1929 general election by the Labour Party candidate, David Mort. He did not stand for Parliament again.- External links :...
by over 2,000 votes. He died in the following year.