Konni Zilliacus
Encyclopedia
Konni Zilliacus was a left-wing Labour Party
politician
in the United Kingdom
.
, where his parents, Finland-Swedish
Konrad Viktor (Konni) Zilliacus
(1855–1924), a prominent activist for the independence of Finland from the Russian Empire
, and American-born Lilian McLaurin Grafe (1873–1938), were living in exile.
He travelled the world with his parents until settling at Bedales School
in Hampshire
in 1909, where he became friends with Josiah Clement Wedgwood's sons. He continued his studies at Yale University
before enlisting during World War I
.
Soon invalided out of the medical corps, Zilliacus joined the Union of Democratic Control
and worked for the Liberal Party
MPs Noel Buxton and Norman Angell
. He travelled with Wedgwood to Russia, where he developed a sympathy for the October Revolution
, and leaked details of Britain's counter-revolutionary activities to the press. He then joined the Labour Party and began working for the League of Nations
, of which he became a powerful advocate, working on Labour's foreign policy. He also wrote on international affairs under the pseudonym Vigilantes. After the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia
, he resigned from the secretariat of the League of Nations in protest.
In World War II
, Zilliacus worked for the Ministry of Information
and joined the 1941 Committee
. He was elected as MP for Gateshead
in 1945 and became known as a left wing critic of government policy. In 1949, he voted against joining NATO and was expelled from the party, becoming a founder member of the Labour Independent Group
, but he left the group later in the year when it supported Joseph Stalin
over Josip Broz Tito
. He stood as a Labour Independent candidate in the 1950 UK general election, but lost his seat. In 1952, he was readmitted to the Labour Party, and he took Manchester Gorton
in the 1955 UK general election. He became a founder member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
and in 1961 was suspended from the party for several months for writing an article for a Czech magazine. He held the seat until his death, on 6 July 1967.
In 2010 Rod Liddle
of The Spectator
magazine named him as one of the top ten most irritating post-war politicians.http://www.spectator.co.uk/rodliddle/6187518/who-are-ten-most-irritating-politicians-since-the-second-world-war.thtml
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the United Kingdom
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...
.
Life
Zilliacus was born on 13 September 1894 in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where his parents, Finland-Swedish
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue...
Konrad Viktor (Konni) Zilliacus
Konni Zilliacus (senior)
Konrad Viktor Zilliacus was a Finnish independence activist involved in the Grafton Affair in 1905....
(1855–1924), a prominent activist for the independence of Finland from the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, and American-born Lilian McLaurin Grafe (1873–1938), were living in exile.
He travelled the world with his parents until settling at Bedales School
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 1909, where he became friends with Josiah Clement Wedgwood's sons. He continued his studies at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
before enlisting during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Soon invalided out of the medical corps, Zilliacus joined the Union of Democratic Control
Union of Democratic Control
The Union of Democratic Control was a British pressure group formed in 1914 to press for a more responsive foreign policy. While not a pacifist organization, it was opposed to military influence in government.-World War I:...
and worked for the 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...
MPs Noel Buxton and Norman Angell
Norman Angell
Sir Ralph Norman Angell was an English lecturer, journalist, author, and Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.Angell was one of the principal founders of the Union of Democratic Control...
. He travelled with Wedgwood to Russia, where he developed a sympathy for the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, and leaked details of Britain's counter-revolutionary activities to the press. He then joined the Labour Party and began working for the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, of which he became a powerful advocate, working on Labour's foreign policy. He also wrote on international affairs under the pseudonym Vigilantes. After the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, he resigned from the secretariat of the League of Nations in protest.
In World War II
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...
, Zilliacus worked for the Ministry of Information
Minister of Information
The Ministry of Information , headed by the Minister of Information, was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of World War I and again during World War II...
and joined the 1941 Committee
1941 Committee
The 1941 Committee was a group of British politicians, writers and other people of influence who got together in 1940. Its members comprised liberals, and those further left, who were not generally involved with a political party. Its immediate purpose was to press for more efficient production in...
. He was elected as MP for Gateshead
Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency)
Gateshead 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. A previous Gateshead constituency existed from 1832 to 1950....
in 1945 and became known as a left wing critic of government policy. In 1949, he voted against joining NATO and was expelled from the party, becoming a founder member 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...
, but he left the group later in the year when it supported Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
over Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
. He stood as a Labour Independent candidate in the 1950 UK general election, but lost his seat. In 1952, he was readmitted to the Labour Party, and he took Manchester Gorton
Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester, Gorton is a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester, 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.-1885–1918:...
in the 1955 UK general election. He became a founder member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
and in 1961 was suspended from the party for several months for writing an article for a Czech magazine. He held the seat until his death, on 6 July 1967.
In 2010 Rod Liddle
Rod Liddle
Roderick E. L. Liddle is an English print, radio, and television journalist.He is an associate editor of The Spectator, and former editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he is the author of Too Beautiful for You , Love Will Destroy Everything , and co-author of The Best of Liddle Britain...
of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
magazine named him as one of the top ten most irritating post-war politicians.http://www.spectator.co.uk/rodliddle/6187518/who-are-ten-most-irritating-politicians-since-the-second-world-war.thtml