John Hamilton (Liverpool)
Encyclopedia
John Hamilton was a British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party
and Leader of Liverpool
City Council from 1983 to 1986.
, known as the Quakers, also serving as a magistrate
. First elected to the council in 1958, Hamilton became Leader of the Labour Group in 1974 replacing Bill Sefton. He led the council from 1976 to 1978, although with no majority he was often overturned by the Liberal
and Conservative
groups acting together. In 1978 Hamilton was briefly deposed as Labour group leader by Eddie Roderick when Labour lost power, but returned after a few weeks.
who dominated the Liverpool Labour group at the time. However as Militant rose Hamilton was allowed to retain the leadership as a figurehead from the left-wing non-Militant members to disguise the fact that real power lay with leading Militants including Deputy Leader Derek Hatton
. Hamilton knew this, and remarked "When I die I will go to hell with Hatton because he will make it look like heaven." Although a quietly spoken man, at all times Hamilton acted according to his principles: it was for this that he was most respected by all on the left of the Labour Party.
After the Labour Party investigation had closed down the District Labour Party and began expulsions of Militant members of the City Council, Hamilton was replaced as Leader by Tony Byrne on 20 November 1986. Byrne was never a Militant member but had jointly led the budget fight with the government with Militant, Hamilton and others.
on the nomination of the Labour Group on Liverpool.
He was severely injured in a house fire in January 2000.
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 Leader of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
City Council from 1983 to 1986.
Municipal life
Hamilton was a lifelong bachelor and worked as a schoolteacher. He was a member of the Religious Society of FriendsReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, known as the Quakers, also serving as a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. First elected to the council in 1958, Hamilton became Leader of the Labour Group in 1974 replacing Bill Sefton. He led the council from 1976 to 1978, although with no majority he was often overturned by the 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...
and 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...
groups acting together. In 1978 Hamilton was briefly deposed as Labour group leader by Eddie Roderick when Labour lost power, but returned after a few weeks.
1980s leadership
He was a left-winger but was not a member of the Militant TendencyMilitant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
who dominated the Liverpool Labour group at the time. However as Militant rose Hamilton was allowed to retain the leadership as a figurehead from the left-wing non-Militant members to disguise the fact that real power lay with leading Militants including Deputy Leader Derek Hatton
Derek Hatton
Derek 'Degsy' Hatton is a broadcaster, businessman and after-dinner speaker. He won celebrity status as a local politician in Liverpool during the 1980s, where he was deputy leader of the city council, and a supporter of the Trotskyist Militant Tendency.-Early life:He attended Liverpool Institute...
. Hamilton knew this, and remarked "When I die I will go to hell with Hatton because he will make it look like heaven." Although a quietly spoken man, at all times Hamilton acted according to his principles: it was for this that he was most respected by all on the left of the Labour Party.
After the Labour Party investigation had closed down the District Labour Party and began expulsions of Militant members of the City Council, Hamilton was replaced as Leader by Tony Byrne on 20 November 1986. Byrne was never a Militant member but had jointly led the budget fight with the government with Militant, Hamilton and others.
Later life
Along with 46 other members of the council who had voted to set an illegal budget, Hamilton was surcharged and banned from office for five years in 1987. He retained some posts, including membership of the Liverpool Racial Equality Council. He was never expelled from the Labour Party, and remained popular, becoming Chairman of Liverpool Broadgreen Constituency Labour Party in 1987; however his attempts to regain a council seat were in vain. Interviewed later, Hamilton was unrepentant about his actions and declared that he would do the same again. In 2005 Hamilton declined the offer of being made an Honorary AldermanAlderman
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 the nomination of the Labour Group on Liverpool.
He was severely injured in a house fire in January 2000.