Thomas Robinson (Stretford politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Robinson KBE
(2 January 1864 – 30 December 1953) was an English industrialist, Liberal
politician and Member of Parliament, who late in his career sat in the House of Commons
as an Independent
.
He was the son of Peter Robinson from Stretford
in Lancashire
. In November 1936 he married Emmeline Mary Standring, also of Stretford. In religion he was an independent Methodist.
trade, which had strong connections to the Lancashire textile industry. He was a director of the Bradford Dyers Association, Ltd and Chairman of the Allied Trades, Bleaching, Dyeing and Printing Industries of Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. He also held appointments as the nominee of the Federation of British Industries
.
, but was successful in Parliamentary politics through a Liberal-Conservative pact and stood under the title Independent Free Trade and Anti-Socialist. He was always identified by the Liberal Party as a representative of the party, even at the 1924 general election
, when he chose to describe himself as a Constitutionalist. The Constitutionalist label was one used by a number of candidates; many were Liberals or ex-Liberals like Winston Churchill
. The Constitutionalists did not function as a party but fielded candidates in 1924 in constituencies where local Conservative
and Liberal Associations collaborated against socialism
. Many ended up in the Conservative Party, but Robinson preferred to continue to receive the Liberal whip
up until the 1929 general election
, when he stood formally as an Independent.
in 1894. He was later elected as Chairman of the Council. He sat as Chairman of the Stretford Hundred Licensing Committee from 1916 to 1941 and was Chairman of the Manchester Port Sanitary Committee after 1927. In 1933, he became the first Mayor
of Stretford when the borough gained its Charter of Incorporation. He sat as Mayor again in 1944–1945 and was also an Alderman
. In 1937 he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Stretford
.
when he was selected as Coalition Liberal candidate for his home Division of Stretford
. That is to say, he was the candidate of the Coalition government
of David Lloyd George
and the Conservatives
of Andrew Bonar Law, and as such he received the Coalition coupon
. He won the seat by a large majority in a straight fight against Labour
.
Robinson held his seat at the 1922 general election
, standing as a Lloyd George National Liberal
, again in a straight fight with Labour. He held again against Labour, this time described solely as a Liberal, in 1923
, and in another straight fight in 1924
he won Stretford for a fourth time, although this time standing as a Constitutionalist. Interestingly, although the Constitutionalists were included in the Unionist lists of Parliamentary candidates, Robinson's victory at Stretford in 1924 was recorded as "no change" in The Times
newspaper results from the election, rather than as a Constitutionalist or Unionist gain from the Liberals. At the 1929 general election
, Robinson described himself as an Independent, saying he was not fighting on party lines. He declined the Liberal whip in the following Parliament but was often still referred to in the press as a Liberal MP. He did not stand for Parliament again.
and served as a member of the Lancashire Rivers Board and the Mersey and Irwell Catchment Board, being its first Chairman. He was a Justice of the Peace
for the county of Lancashire. In 1939 he was elected President of Lancashire Cricket Club.
in the 1920 New Year Honours for public and Parliamentary services and was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1934.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(2 January 1864 – 30 December 1953) was an English industrialist, Liberal
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...
politician and Member of Parliament, who late in his career sat 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...
as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Birth and family
Robinson's date of birth is recorded variously as 1863 and as 2 January 1864He was the son of Peter Robinson from Stretford
Stretford
Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In November 1936 he married Emmeline Mary Standring, also of Stretford. In religion he was an independent Methodist.
Career
Robinson had interests in the dyeingDyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
trade, which had strong connections to the Lancashire textile industry. He was a director of the Bradford Dyers Association, Ltd and Chairman of the Allied Trades, Bleaching, Dyeing and Printing Industries of Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. He also held appointments as the nominee of the Federation of British Industries
Federation of British Industries
The Federation of British Industries was founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916. It was composed of 124 firms which all gave £1,000 for its foundation. The FBI never took part in labour relations but progressively involved in tariff reform...
.
Party affiliation
Robinson was mostly identified with the Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
, but was successful in Parliamentary politics through a Liberal-Conservative pact and stood under the title Independent Free Trade and Anti-Socialist. He was always identified by the Liberal Party as a representative of the party, even at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, when he chose to describe himself as a Constitutionalist. The Constitutionalist label was one used by a number of candidates; many were Liberals or ex-Liberals like 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...
. The Constitutionalists did not function as a party but fielded candidates in 1924 in constituencies where local 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...
and Liberal Associations collaborated against socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. Many ended up in the Conservative Party, but Robinson preferred to continue to receive the Liberal whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
up until the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, when he stood formally as an Independent.
Local politics
Robinson started his political career in local government and administration. He was first elected to the Stretford Urban District CouncilMunicipal Borough of Stretford
Stretford was, from 1868 to 1974, a local government district coterminate with the town of Stretford in the then county of Lancashire, England.-Local Board and Urban District:...
in 1894. He was later elected as Chairman of the Council. He sat as Chairman of the Stretford Hundred Licensing Committee from 1916 to 1941 and was Chairman of the Manchester Port Sanitary Committee after 1927. In 1933, he became the first Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Stretford when the borough gained its Charter of Incorporation. He sat as Mayor again in 1944–1945 and was also an Alderman
Alderman
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...
. In 1937 he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Stretford
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;...
.
Parliament
Robinson entered Parliament at the 1918 general electionUnited 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 selected as Coalition Liberal candidate for his home Division of Stretford
Stretford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stretford was a parliamentary constituency in North West England, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. That is to say, he was the candidate of the Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and the Conservatives
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...
of Andrew Bonar Law, and as such he received the Coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
. He won the seat by a large majority in a straight fight against Labour
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...
.
Robinson held his seat at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, standing as a Lloyd George National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
, again in a straight fight with Labour. He held again against Labour, this time described solely as a Liberal, in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and in another straight fight in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
he won Stretford for a fourth time, although this time standing as a Constitutionalist. Interestingly, although the Constitutionalists were included in the Unionist lists of Parliamentary candidates, Robinson's victory at Stretford in 1924 was recorded as "no change" in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper results from the election, rather than as a Constitutionalist or Unionist gain from the Liberals. At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, Robinson described himself as an Independent, saying he was not fighting on party lines. He declined the Liberal whip in the following Parliament but was often still referred to in the press as a Liberal MP. He did not stand for Parliament again.
Other appointments
Robinson was Chairman of the Local Legislation Committee of the House of Commons, 1922–1931, Chairman of the Dye Stuff Licensing Committee from 1923 to 1934, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Stretford Corporation. He was a member of the Council of the Victoria University of ManchesterVictoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
and served as a member of the Lancashire Rivers Board and the Mersey and Irwell Catchment Board, being its first Chairman. He was a Justice of the Peace
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...
for the county of Lancashire. In 1939 he was elected President of Lancashire Cricket Club.
Honours
Robinson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1919. He was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1920 New Year Honours for public and Parliamentary services and was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1934.