William Ainsley
Encyclopedia
William Ainsley (30 June 1898 – 23 June 1976) was a British
coal miner and Labour Party
politician. He was the Member of Parliament
for North West Durham from 1955 to 1964.
, Ainsley attended elementary school before enlisting in the Durham Light Infantry
in 1916 to fight in the First World War. When he returned, he became a coal miner. He continued his education at evening classes and through correspondence courses.
and helped the party by acting as the agent running election campaigns. In 1942 he was appointed to Durham County Council (elections having been suspended during the war), where he specialised in education and became Chairman of the Education Committee. In December 1950 he was part of a delegation to central government over Durham County Council's decision to institute a closed shop
for all its employees. He was vice-chairman of the County Council in 1952 and Chairman from 1953 to 1955. He was Chairman of the Northern Advisory Council for Further Education from 1951.
, Ainsley was selected as Labour Party candidate for North West Durham. He supported the mining industry, calling for more investment in British mines rather than importing coal from Rhodesia
. He was a supporter of nationalisation who opposed an attempt in 1957 to water down party policy. He defended his old regiment from attempts to merge it.
An active Methodist
who was a local preacher, Ainsley served in the Methodist Youth department. He was generally loyal to the Labour Party (never breaking the whip), and when asked in 1959, he withdrew his name from a motion which opposed any move of NATO aircraft from French to British bases. In 1960 he called for a rise in the school leaving age to 16, and in 1961 he urged integration of the independent schools with the state system and fully comprehensive mixed-sex schools.
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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...
coal miner and 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. He was the 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,...
for North West Durham from 1955 to 1964.
Working life
Born in County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, Ainsley attended elementary school before enlisting in the Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
in 1916 to fight in the First World War. When he returned, he became a coal miner. He continued his education at evening classes and through correspondence courses.
Local politics
Ainsley joined the Labour PartyLabour 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...
and helped the party by acting as the agent running election campaigns. In 1942 he was appointed to Durham County Council (elections having been suspended during the war), where he specialised in education and became Chairman of the Education Committee. In December 1950 he was part of a delegation to central government over Durham County Council's decision to institute a closed shop
Closed shop
A closed shop is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed....
for all its employees. He was vice-chairman of the County Council in 1952 and Chairman from 1953 to 1955. He was Chairman of the Northern Advisory Council for Further Education from 1951.
Parliament
For the 1955 general electionUnited 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...
, Ainsley was selected as Labour Party candidate for North West Durham. He supported the mining industry, calling for more investment in British mines rather than importing coal from Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. He was a supporter of nationalisation who opposed an attempt in 1957 to water down party policy. He defended his old regiment from attempts to merge it.
An active Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
who was a local preacher, Ainsley served in the Methodist Youth department. He was generally loyal to the Labour Party (never breaking the whip), and when asked in 1959, he withdrew his name from a motion which opposed any move of NATO aircraft from French to British bases. In 1960 he called for a rise in the school leaving age to 16, and in 1961 he urged integration of the independent schools with the state system and fully comprehensive mixed-sex schools.
Retirement
Ainsley stood down at the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
.