William Joseph Jordan
Encyclopedia
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
Member of Parliament, and New Zealand's longest-serving High Commissioner to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
from 1935 to 1951.
Early life
Jordan was born in RamsgateRamsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, Kent, the son and grandson of sea captains, his father William Joseph Jordon was a member of the lifeboat crew which earned fame and exploits on the Goodwin Sands. His mother was Elizabeth Ann Catt. The decline of the local fishing industry forced the Jordan family to move to London. William then attended St Lukes Parochial School, Old Street in London and wore the characteristic old-fashioned uniform which was well known. Aged 12 he left school (1892) and became an apprentice coach painter, from which he resigned on account of the scourge of lead poisoning. He then entered the postal service in 1896 and reached a responsible position at Mount Pleasant (headquarters of the Postal service). While there, he showed his preference in politics by joining the Fawcett Association. Jordan before joining the London Metropolitan Police and underwent training at Scotland Yard, afterwards being stationed at Limehouse in East End of London.
Jordan emigrated to New Zealand in 1904, initially working as a labourer and bush farming. He joined the Labour Party in 1907, as the first secretary of the Wellington branch of the Party.
First World War
Unlike many other early Labour Party leaders e.g. Harry HollandHarry Holland
Henry Edmund Holland was a New Zealand politician and unionist. He was the first leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.-Early life:...
, Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...
and Peter Fraser, Jordan was not a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
. He enlisted in the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
in France in 1917. In March 1918, Jordan saw action for the first time, and suffered serious wounds in action two weeks later. He transferred to the Army Education Service, where he served as an instructor until the end of the war, returning to New Zealand in 1919.
Parliamentary career
In 1922, Jordan was surprisingly elected as one of 17 Labour Party MPs elected that year, winning the seat of ManukauManukau (New Zealand electorate)
Manukau is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in the south Auckland Region. It existed from 1881 to 1978, with a break from 1938 to 1957. It was represented by nine Members of Parliament...
increasing his majority at each of the four subsequent elections, until he had one of the largest votes and majorities. Jordan had an earlier unsuccessful attempt to win the Raglan
Raglan (New Zealand electorate)
-History:The Raglan electorate existed from 1861 to 1870, from 1911 to 1978, and then from 1984 to 1996.In 1996, Simon Upton who was then the MP for Raglan chose to become a list MP...
seat for Labour in 1919.
In early 1935 the Jordan affair pitted Jordan against the Auckland LRC when he proposed to stand for the Auckland Electric Power Board as an independent when the LRC decided not to nominate an official Labour candidate, but he was supported by Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...
(Gustafson page 160).
Jordan was a diligent local MP, and held his seat until Labour won the Government benches in 1935. Jordan had expected to be elevated to Cabinet; instead he was appointed to the post of New Zealand High Commissioner to London, which had until that point been traditionally a retirement post for former Cabinet ministers.
New Zealand High Commissioner to London
Jordan served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to London from September 1936 to 1951. For much of this time, London was New Zealand's only diplomatic posting, and Jordan became prominent as New Zealand's official representative overseas. Jordan was actively involved as New Zealand's representative to the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. Jordan served as President of the League of Nations in 1938. While Europe was heading towards War, Jordan's public position was that war was inconceivable. In 1938 Jordan wrote to Prime Minister Savage, stating that "we shall not see war involving our Empire in our lifetime". Just before war broke out he spoke in similar terms in a broadcast to New Zealand. As he said six months later, right up to that date, "I could not believe that the world was so mad as to go to war." During his time on the League of the Nations, he suggested in 1937 that the organization should intervene on Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during its Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and then hold free and fair elections on the country, but the proposal has fallen on deaf ears within the organization.
Jordan was highly regarded during the War for his loyalty to New Zealand servicemen and women, and his care for soldiers.
Jordan's reputation among officials and Cabinet colleagues was much less warm. He frequently refused instructions from Wellington on the basis that remote officials at home could not accurately assess New Zealand's position. Jordan was loathed by his deputies, Major General W. G. Stevens and Dick Campbell
Richard Mitchelson Campbell
Richard Mitchelson Campbell CMG , often known as Dick Campbell, was a New Zealand economist, civil servant , and diplomat...
. Secretary of External Affairs Alister McIntosh
Alister McIntosh
Sir Alister Donald Miles McIntosh, KCMG , was a New Zealand diplomat. McIntosh was New Zealand's first secretary of foreign affairs, and is widely considered to be the father of New Zealand's independent foreign policy and architect of the ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand.-Early...
had frequent difficulties with Jordan. Deputy Prime Minister Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
had feuds with Jordan, stemming from Nash's position representing the Prime Minister at international gatherings that Jordan felt was his own right to represent.
Despite this, Jordan remained a popular figure among the public in New Zealand. In 1949, with the Labour Party defeated from office, the incoming National Government decided to retain Jordan in his post, until 1951. He was knighted in 1952. He was a Christian Socialist and Methodist home missionary. He died in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
on 8 April 1959.
Awards
- KCMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
- Honorary Doctorates from Cambridge University and St Andrews University
- Privy Councillor
- Freedoms of the Cities of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and RamsgateRamsgateRamsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
.