Thomas Richards (politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Richards was a Welsh
trade union
ist and politician.
Richards was first elected as Liberal Member of Parliament
(MP) for West Monmouthshire
at a by-election
in 1904. In 1909, he was instructed by his trade union, to resign the Liberal whip and take the Labour whip and at both the 1910 General Elections he stood as a Labour candidate. He held the seat until its abolition at the 1918 general election
, when he was elected for the new Ebbw Vale constituency. He resigned from Parliament
in 1920.
He was made a Privy Councillor
in 1918. General Secretary of the South Wales Miners' Federation 1898-1931 and President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain 1929-1930.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
trade union
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 politician.
Richards was first elected as Liberal 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) for West Monmouthshire
West Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Western Monmouthshire was a parliamentary constituency in Monmouthshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1904. In 1909, he was instructed by his trade union, to resign the Liberal whip and take the Labour whip and at both the 1910 General Elections he stood as a Labour candidate. He held the seat until its abolition at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, when he was elected for the new Ebbw Vale constituency. He resigned from Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
in 1920.
He was made a Privy Councillor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1918. General Secretary of the South Wales Miners' Federation 1898-1931 and President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain 1929-1930.