William Hilton (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Samuel Hilton (21 March 1926 - 12 June 1999) was a British
Labour Co-operative
politician and trade unionist who later went on to become director general of the Master Builders Federation.
near Barnsley
, Yorkshire
, in 1926. His father was a master painter who moved to Saltcoats
in Ayrshire
, Scotland to find work. Hilton was educated at Ardrossan Academy
and retained a Scottish accent for the rest of his life.
He initially worked as a railway fireman, becoming active with the National Union of Railwaymen
. His involvement in Labour politics saw him become agent to David Kirkwood
, an Independent Labour Party
member of parliament and militant "Red Clydeside
r".
When Kirkwood retired from parliament in 1951, Hilton became national organiser of the Association of Building Technicians
, subsequently taking up the post of research officer with the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives in 1953. In 1954 he was the author of Building by Direct Labour: A National Survey.
, standing unsuccessfully at East Hertfordshire
, a safe Conservative
seat. At the next election in 1959
he contested the more marginal seat of Ealing North, but again failed to be elected.
He finally entered the Commons at the 1966 general election
, succeeding Percy Holman
as member of parliament
for the safe Labour seat of Bethnal Green
. In the same year he published his second book Foes to tyranny: a history of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers.
He became parliamentary private sectretary to Bob Mellish
, Minister of State for Public Buildings and Works. In 1968 his third book, Industrial Relations in Construction, brought him to the attention of the Federation of Master Builders
, the trade association
of small and medium-sized building contractors. In 1969 he became director of the federation. He held his seat at the 1970 general election
, but found himself on the opposition benches when the Conservatives won a parliamentary majority. Following a serious illness in 1971 Hilton became dissillusioned with politics, and decided to dedicate himself to his work with the builders federation. When it became clear that his constituency was to be abolished due to boundary changes, he announced he would not be seeking re-election elsewhere. Accordingly he left parliament at the next election in February 1974
.
, worked to form the European Builders Confederation. He became director general of the federation in 1987, holding the position until his retirement in 1991. He wrote an autobographical account of his experiences in the railway and building industries, The Plug Dropper, in 1986 and an account of his childhood, The Wee Spartans, in 1998.
Hilton was twice married. In 1948 he married Nan Aitken Orr with whom he had three sons. The couple were divorced in 1985, and he married Betty Penfold in 1986.
Hilton died in Coulsdon
, south London in June 1999. His final book, Speakers are Born?, a guide to public speaking, was published posthumously.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
politician and trade unionist who later went on to become director general of the Master Builders Federation.
Early life
Hilton was born in DartonDarton
Darton is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley , on the border with West Yorkshire. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 14,927...
near Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in 1926. His father was a master painter who moved to Saltcoats
Saltcoats
- References :*McSherry, R. & M. . Old Saltcoats, Stenlake Publishing, Ochiltree. ISBN 1-872074-57-X.*Stansfield, G. . Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways, Stenlake Publishing, Catrine. ISBN 1-84033-077-5.-External links:***...
in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, Scotland to find work. Hilton was educated at Ardrossan Academy
Ardrossan Academy
Ardrossan Academy is a large Scottish secondary school, opened in October 1882, serving the town of Ardrossan, with pupils also coming from nearby Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Seamill, and other areas.-Management Team:...
and retained a Scottish accent for the rest of his life.
He initially worked as a railway fireman, becoming active with the National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
. His involvement in Labour politics saw him become agent to David Kirkwood
David Kirkwood
David Kirkwood, 1st Baron Kirkwood, PC was a socialist from the East End of Glasgow, Scotland, viewed as a leading figure of the Red Clydeside era.Kirkwood was educated at Parkhead Public School and was trained as an engineer....
, an Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
member of parliament and militant "Red Clydeside
Red Clydeside
Red Clydeside is a term used to describe the era of political radicalism that characterised the city of Glasgow in Scotland, and urban areas around the city on the banks of the River Clyde such as Clydebank, Greenock and Paisley...
r".
When Kirkwood retired from parliament in 1951, Hilton became national organiser of the Association of Building Technicians
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians is a British and Irish trade union which represents, as of December 2009, 127,433 workers in construction and allied trades, an increase of nearly 17,000 since 2003....
, subsequently taking up the post of research officer with the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives in 1953. In 1954 he was the author of Building by Direct Labour: A National Survey.
Parliament
He first contested a parliamentary election in 1955United 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...
, standing unsuccessfully at East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Hertfordshire was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Hertfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, a safe 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...
seat. At the next election in 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
he contested the more marginal seat of Ealing North, but again failed to be elected.
He finally entered the Commons at the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, succeeding Percy Holman
Percy Holman
Percy Holman was a British Labour and Co-operative politician.Holman was educated at Mill Hill School and the London School of Economics. He served in World War I with the Red Cross in France, 1915-18. He took up a career as a paper merchant.Holman was a councillor on Middlesex County Council...
as 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 the safe Labour seat of Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green was a parliamentary constituency in the Bethnal Green area of the East End of London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.It was then partly...
. In the same year he published his second book Foes to tyranny: a history of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers.
He became parliamentary private sectretary to Bob Mellish
Bob Mellish, Baron Mellish
Robert Joseph Mellish, Baron Mellish, PC was a British politician. He was a long-serving Labour Party MP and served as the Labour Chief Whip from 1969 until 1976 but in his later years he fell out with his local Constituency Labour Party which had become dominated by left-wingers, and eventually...
, Minister of State for Public Buildings and Works. In 1968 his third book, Industrial Relations in Construction, brought him to the attention of the Federation of Master Builders
Federation of Master Builders
The Federation of Master Builders is a UK trade association established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized building firms.As of 2011, it is the largest trade association in the UK building industry...
, the trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
of small and medium-sized building contractors. In 1969 he became director of the federation. He held his seat at the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, but found himself on the opposition benches when the Conservatives won a parliamentary majority. Following a serious illness in 1971 Hilton became dissillusioned with politics, and decided to dedicate himself to his work with the builders federation. When it became clear that his constituency was to be abolished due to boundary changes, he announced he would not be seeking re-election elsewhere. Accordingly he left parliament at the next election in February 1974
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
.
After parliament
As national director of the Master Builders Federation, Hilton was responsible for introducing an industry-wide warranty scheme against defective workmanship, helped create the Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council and, following accession to the European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, worked to form the European Builders Confederation. He became director general of the federation in 1987, holding the position until his retirement in 1991. He wrote an autobographical account of his experiences in the railway and building industries, The Plug Dropper, in 1986 and an account of his childhood, The Wee Spartans, in 1998.
Hilton was twice married. In 1948 he married Nan Aitken Orr with whom he had three sons. The couple were divorced in 1985, and he married Betty Penfold in 1986.
Hilton died in Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
, south London in June 1999. His final book, Speakers are Born?, a guide to public speaking, was published posthumously.