John Platts-Mills
Encyclopedia
John Faithful Fortescue Platts-Mills, QC
(4 October 1906 – 26 October 2001) was a British Labour Party
politician born in Wellington
, New Zealand
. He graduated with a first-class honours degree in law from Victoria University of Wellington
and in 1928 won a Rhodes Scholarship
to Balliol College, Oxford
. At one time identifying with the conservative English Mistery
group, it was the Hoare-Laval Pact
which permanently altered his political outlook.
After graduating he was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple
in 1932, then worked as a barrister
in London
, and in 1936 joined the Labour Party. On the outbreak of the Second World War
he joined the Royal Air Force
. However he was later told to leave, and it was suspected that this was due to his communist sympathies. Once the Soviet Union
entered the war, the military was more enthusiastic about his involvement.
During the later part of the war, Platts-Mills volunteered to work as a miner, and at the 1945 general election
he was elected as the Labour MP for Finsbury
.
In the Commons Platts-Mills emerged as one a small number of MPs with pro-Soviet sympathies. Platts-Mills' opposition to NATO and his claim that the United States
had too much power in Europe
brought him into conflict with the leadership of the Labour Party
.
In April 1948, Platts-Mills organised a petition in support of Pietro Nenni
and the Italian Socialist Party
in its general election campaign. Controversial because Nenni was in alliance with the Italian Communist Party
, this action became the foundation of the Labour Independent Group
. He gained support from 27 other MPs including Konni Zilliacus
, D. N. Pritt
, Geoffrey Bing
and William Warbey
. This went against government policy. Platts-Mills was expelled from the Labour Party, and standing as an independent, he lost his seat in the 1950 general election
.
He returned to his legal career and established himself as one of Britain's leading barristers. He was made a QC
in 1964, and readmiited to the Labour Party in 1969. "A master of courtroom theatre and his clashes with the Bench entered into legal legend", his clients as Defence Counsel included the Great Train Robbers
and the Kray twins
.
John Platts-Mills died on 26 October 2001.
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...
(4 October 1906 – 26 October 2001) was a British 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 born in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He graduated with a first-class honours degree in law from Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
and in 1928 won a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. At one time identifying with the conservative English Mistery
English Mistery
The English Mistery was a political and esoteric group active in the United Kingdom of the 1930s. A "Conservative fringe group" in favour of bringing back the feudal system, its views have been characterised as "reactionary ultra-royalist, anti-democratic"...
group, it was the Hoare-Laval Pact
Hoare-Laval Pact
The Hoare-Laval Pact was a December 1935 proposal by British Foreign Secretary Samuel Hoare and French Prime Minister Pierre Laval for ending the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. Italy had wanted to take Abyssinia as part of its empire, and have an empire like the Romans had, and also to avenge...
which permanently altered his political outlook.
After graduating he was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1932, then worked as a 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...
in 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...
, and in 1936 joined the Labour Party. On the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. However he was later told to leave, and it was suspected that this was due to his communist sympathies. Once the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
entered the war, the military was more enthusiastic about his involvement.
During the later part of the war, Platts-Mills volunteered to work as a miner, and at the 1945 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...
he was elected as the Labour MP for Finsbury
Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
The parliamentary borough of Finsbury was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885, and from 1918 to 1950. The constituency created in 1832 included part of the county of Middlesex north of the City of London and was named after the Finsbury...
.
In the Commons Platts-Mills emerged as one a small number of MPs with pro-Soviet sympathies. Platts-Mills' opposition to NATO and his claim that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had too much power in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
brought him into conflict with the leadership of 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...
.
In April 1948, Platts-Mills organised a petition in support of Pietro Nenni
Pietro Nenni
Pietro Sandro Nenni was an Italian socialist politician, the national secretary of the Italian Socialist Party and lifetime Senator since 1970. He was a recipient of the Stalin Peace Prize in 1951...
and the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
in its general election campaign. Controversial because Nenni was in alliance with the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
, this action became the foundation of the Labour Independent Group
Labour Independent Group
The Labour Independent Group was an organisation of five former Labour Party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom.In April 1948, the MP John Platts-Mills campaigned for Pietro Nenni and the Italian Socialist Party, against the Labour government policy. He was expelled from the party...
. He gained support from 27 other MPs including Konni Zilliacus
Konni Zilliacus
Konni Zilliacus was a left-wing Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Life:Zilliacus was born on 13 September 1894 in Japan, where his parents, Finland-Swedish Konrad Viktor Zilliacus , a prominent activist for the independence of Finland from the Russian Empire, and American-born Lilian...
, D. N. Pritt
Denis Nowell Pritt
Denis Nowell Pritt , usually known as D.N. Pritt, was a British barrister and Labour Party politician. Born in Harlesden, Middlesex, he was educated at Winchester College and London University....
, Geoffrey Bing
Geoffrey Bing
Geoffrey Henry Cecil Bing was a British barrister and politician who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Hornchurch from 1945 to 1955....
and William Warbey
William Warbey
William Noble Warbey was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.William Noble was born in the then newly created Metropolitan Borough of Hackney in London. He first entered the House of Commons in the Labour landslide at the 1945 general election, as Member of Parliament for Luton in...
. This went against government policy. Platts-Mills was expelled from the Labour Party, and standing as an independent, he lost his seat in the 1950 general election
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...
.
He returned to his legal career and established himself as one of Britain's leading barristers. He was made a QC
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...
in 1964, and readmiited to the Labour Party in 1969. "A master of courtroom theatre and his clashes with the Bench entered into legal legend", his clients as Defence Counsel included the Great Train Robbers
Great Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
and the Kray twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
.
John Platts-Mills died on 26 October 2001.