Lawrence Daly
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Daly was a coal miner, trade union
ist and political activist.
Born in Fife
, Daly's father was a miner and a founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain
(CPGB). At 15, Lawrence began work as a miner at Glencraig Colliery.
Daly was soon active in the Scottish Mineworkers' Union. His initial involvement was in the labour movement's youth wing; amongst other activities he represented the British Trades Union Congress
(TUC) on an international youth delegation to Moscow
in 1945. He was chair of the Scottish TUC
's Youth Committee, and later was elected chair of the Scottish Youth Committee of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). He held a variety of offices in the Glencraig NUM Branch, probably the most important for an aspiring activist was his ten years as Workman's Inspector, an appointment provided for under the coal mines safety legislation.
Although active in the CPGB from 1940, he was having differences with party doctrine from the late 1940s. Despite these differences, in 1951 Daly spent some time as full-time party agent in West Fife. He eventually left the Party in 1956, shortly before the mass exodus of membership over the Soviet invasion of Hungary. He became associated with the formation of the "New Left", in its journals New Reasoner
and then New Left Review
.
In 1957, Daly helped to found the Fife Socialist League
. He was elected as a County Councillor for the Ballingry
division in May 1958, and at the 1959 UK general election, he took 10.7% of the vote in West Fife, easily beating the CPGB candidate. When the FSL disbanded in 1964, Daly joined the Labour Party
.
Daly's rise through the NUM ranks was rapid. He was elected to the National Union of Mineworkers Scottish Area Executive Committee in 1962, became the full time agent for the Fife, Clackmannan and Stirling District a year later, and then General Secretary of the Scottish Area NUM in 1965. Daly was part of the movement in the mid-1960s for the abolition of piecework at the coalface, and its replacement by a national day wage structure - the National Power Loading Agreement (NPLA) of 1966.
In 1968, Daly was elected General Secretary of the NUM, and following what had by then almost become a tradition in the NUM, worked with two right-of-centre Presidents, Sid Ford and Joe Gormley
. He steered the union through two major strikes in 1972 and 1974. Both strikes were a response to a massive falling behind of miners wages generally, and of coalface workers wages particularly; these occasioned by the effects of the "standstill" clauses in the NPLA, where the highest paid colliers in the Midlands and Nottinghamshire gave up any real pay increases as they waited until faceworkers' shift rates in Scotland, Wales and other areas caught up. Following the 1974 strike, Prime Minister Edward Heath
called a general election over the issue of "who governs Britain". He lost, although his successor as leader of the Conservative Party successfully all but destroyed the NUM little over ten years later.
Daly sustained serious injury in a road accident in 1975, and had prolonged leave of absence following it. He was succeeded as NUM General Secretary by Peter Heathfield
from the Derbyshire Area in 1984.
Lawrence Daly died on the 23rd May 2009. His Guardian obituary is here. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/30/obituary-lawrence-daly
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 political activist.
Born in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Daly's father was a miner and a founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
(CPGB). At 15, Lawrence began work as a miner at Glencraig Colliery.
Daly was soon active in the Scottish Mineworkers' Union. His initial involvement was in the labour movement's youth wing; amongst other activities he represented the British Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
(TUC) on an international youth delegation to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1945. He was chair of the Scottish TUC
Scottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
's Youth Committee, and later was elected chair of the Scottish Youth Committee of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). He held a variety of offices in the Glencraig NUM Branch, probably the most important for an aspiring activist was his ten years as Workman's Inspector, an appointment provided for under the coal mines safety legislation.
Although active in the CPGB from 1940, he was having differences with party doctrine from the late 1940s. Despite these differences, in 1951 Daly spent some time as full-time party agent in West Fife. He eventually left the Party in 1956, shortly before the mass exodus of membership over the Soviet invasion of Hungary. He became associated with the formation of the "New Left", in its journals New Reasoner
New Reasoner
During the crisis of the 1950s within the Communist Party of Great Britain , John Saville and E.P. Thompson created a journal of dissident Communism named the Reasoner. They took the title from an early 19th century publication, created by John Bone, which had been an attempt at renewing and...
and then New Left Review
New Left Review
New Left Review is a 160-page journal, published every two months from London, devoted to world politics, economy and culture. Often compared to the French-language Les Temps modernes, it is associated with Verso Books , and regularly features the essays of authorities on contemporary social...
.
In 1957, Daly helped to found the Fife Socialist League
Fife Socialist League
The Fife Socialist League was a left-wing political party founded in Fife, Scotland in 1953. Led by the miners' activist Lawrence Daly, they contested the West Fife constituency in the 1959 general election, polling 4,886 votes, more than the total received by the candidate of the Communist Party...
. He was elected as a County Councillor for the Ballingry
Ballingry
Ballingry is a small town, in Fife, close to the border with Perth and Kinross, north of Lochgelly. It has an estimated population of 5,740 . The once separate villages of Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill, and Glencraig are now somewhat joined together as the part of the Benarty area...
division in May 1958, and at the 1959 UK general election, he took 10.7% of the vote in West Fife, easily beating the CPGB candidate. When the FSL disbanded in 1964, Daly joined 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...
.
Daly's rise through the NUM ranks was rapid. He was elected to the National Union of Mineworkers Scottish Area Executive Committee in 1962, became the full time agent for the Fife, Clackmannan and Stirling District a year later, and then General Secretary of the Scottish Area NUM in 1965. Daly was part of the movement in the mid-1960s for the abolition of piecework at the coalface, and its replacement by a national day wage structure - the National Power Loading Agreement (NPLA) of 1966.
In 1968, Daly was elected General Secretary of the NUM, and following what had by then almost become a tradition in the NUM, worked with two right-of-centre Presidents, Sid Ford and Joe Gormley
Joe Gormley
Joseph Gormley, Baron Gormley, OBE was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1971 to 1982, and a Labour peer....
. He steered the union through two major strikes in 1972 and 1974. Both strikes were a response to a massive falling behind of miners wages generally, and of coalface workers wages particularly; these occasioned by the effects of the "standstill" clauses in the NPLA, where the highest paid colliers in the Midlands and Nottinghamshire gave up any real pay increases as they waited until faceworkers' shift rates in Scotland, Wales and other areas caught up. Following the 1974 strike, Prime Minister Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
called a general election over the issue of "who governs Britain". He lost, although his successor as leader of the Conservative Party successfully all but destroyed the NUM little over ten years later.
Daly sustained serious injury in a road accident in 1975, and had prolonged leave of absence following it. He was succeeded as NUM General Secretary by Peter Heathfield
Peter Heathfield
Peter Heathfield was a British trade unionist who was general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers between 1984 and 1992, including the period of the miners' strike of 1984/85....
from the Derbyshire Area in 1984.
Lawrence Daly died on the 23rd May 2009. His Guardian obituary is here. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/30/obituary-lawrence-daly
External links
- Lawrence Daly - Daily Telegraph obituary
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/lawrence-daly-leader-of-the-num-who-led-the-union-through-the-strikes-of-1972-and-1974-1693175.html - Independent obituary