Joseph Jackson Cleary
Encyclopedia
Sir Joseph Jackson Cleary, JP
(26 October 1902 – 9 February 1993) was a British Labour Party
politician.
district of Liverpool
26 October 1902 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-joseph-cleary-1473610.html. He was educated at Holy Trinity School, Anfield
and at Skerry's College, Liverpool.
in 1927. A member of the Labour Party, he contested the East Toxteth by-election, 1929 and fought the seat again at the general election later that year
, performing creditably in a safe Conservative
seat. In the 1931 general election
Cleary fought the West Derby division of Liverpool. This was a terrible year for Labour and his Conservative opponent trounced him by over 23,000 votes.
In 1934, Liverpool Wavertree's Conservative Member of Parliament
(MP) Ronald Nall-Cain
succeeded to the peerage, and Cleary was selected as the Labour candidate for the resulting by-election on 6 February 1935
. With the Conservative vote split by the presence of Winston Churchill
's son Randolph
as an independent Conservative candidate, Cleary won the seat with the largest swing
ever recorded between the Conservative and Labour parties. At 30% (from Conservative to Labour) it remains unsurpassed to this day.
Cleary's victory was to last just 281 days, making him one of the shortest-serving MPs of the 20th century. At the general election in November 1935
, he lost by almost 8,000 votes in a straight fight with the Conservatives.
of Liverpool in 1941. He undertook lecture-tours to British Forces in the Middle East
in 1945. Later that year he married Ellen McColl. He was Lord Mayor of Liverpool
1949-50.
Twenty years after losing his seat in the House of Commons
, he re-entered the fray to contest Liverpool Walton
in the 1955 general election
. This is the longest gap recorded of any former MP in trying to return to Parliament. He was unsuccessful, but did obtain a small swing against the national trend.
He was knighted in 1965 and made a Freeman
of the City of Liverpool in 1970. Cleary served as a director of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board until 1970.
He died in Garston on 9 Feb. 1993, aged 90.
Sir Joseph Cleary enjoyed one of the longest post-service lifespans of any former MP, at 57 years and 87 days. This record was broken in October 2002 by Horace Trevor-Cox
.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(26 October 1902 – 9 February 1993) 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.
Early life
Joseph Cleary was born in the West DerbyWest Derby
West Derby is a suburb in the north of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census, the population of the ward was 14,801 .-History:...
district 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...
26 October 1902 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-joseph-cleary-1473610.html. He was educated at Holy Trinity School, Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
and at Skerry's College, Liverpool.
Career
Cleary was appointed a Liverpool Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1927. A member of the Labour Party, he contested the East Toxteth by-election, 1929 and fought the seat again at the general election later that year
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, performing creditably in a safe 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...
seat. In 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...
Cleary fought the West Derby division of Liverpool. This was a terrible year for Labour and his Conservative opponent trounced him by over 23,000 votes.
In 1934, Liverpool Wavertree's Conservative 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) Ronald Nall-Cain
Ronald Nall-Cain, 2nd Baron Brocket
Ronald Nall Nall-Cain, 2nd Baron Brocket was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom....
succeeded to the peerage, and Cleary was selected as the Labour candidate for the resulting by-election on 6 February 1935
Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935
The Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935 was a by-election held in England for the House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Wavertree on 6 February 1935. It was won by the Labour Party candidate Joseph Jackson Cleary.- Vacancy :...
. With the Conservative vote split by the presence of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's son Randolph
Randolph Churchill
Major Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill, MBE was the son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston from 1940 to 1945....
as an independent Conservative candidate, Cleary won the seat with the largest swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
ever recorded between the Conservative and Labour parties. At 30% (from Conservative to Labour) it remains unsurpassed to this day.
Cleary's victory was to last just 281 days, making him one of the shortest-serving MPs of the 20th century. At the general election in November 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...
, he lost by almost 8,000 votes in a straight fight with the Conservatives.
Later life
Cleary was made an 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...
of Liverpool in 1941. He undertook lecture-tours to British Forces in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1945. Later that year he married Ellen McColl. He was Lord Mayor of Liverpool
Lord Mayor of Liverpool
The office of Mayor of Liverpool has existed since the foundation of Liverpool as a borough by the Royal Charter of King John in 1207. This changed, however, some time after Liverpool was granted city status in 1880 when it was deemed necessary for the "second city of the Empire" to have a Lord Mayor...
1949-50.
Twenty years after losing his seat in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, he re-entered the fray to contest Liverpool Walton
Liverpool Walton (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool, Walton is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in the 1955 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. This is the longest gap recorded of any former MP in trying to return to Parliament. He was unsuccessful, but did obtain a small swing against the national trend.
He was knighted in 1965 and made a Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of Liverpool in 1970. Cleary served as a director of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board until 1970.
He died in Garston on 9 Feb. 1993, aged 90.
Sir Joseph Cleary enjoyed one of the longest post-service lifespans of any former MP, at 57 years and 87 days. This record was broken in October 2002 by 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...
.