Alexander Macdonald (Lib-Lab politician)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Macdonald was a Scottish miner, teacher, trade union leader and Lib–Lab
politician.
, the son of Daniel McDonald and his wife Ann (née Watt). His father was an agricultural worker at that time but had formerly served in the Royal Navy
and was later to work as a coal and iron miner. Macdonald, who adopted the longer spelling of his name in the 1870s, had little formal education as a boy, but in his twenties he attended evening classes
, learning Latin
and Greek. He also managed to fund attendance at winter sessions for students at Glasgow University from work as a coal miner during the summer months.
Macdonald’s education at Glasgow enabled him to become a teacher and he opened his own school in 1851. However, after four years he decided to concentrate his efforts in improving the pay and conditions of mine workers. In 1855 Macdonald formed a unified Scottish coal and ironstone miners’ association and the following year the organisation fought a severe cut in wages. After a three month strike, the miners were starved back to work and had to accept the lower wages offered to them. Undaunted by this failure, Macdonald continued to recruit members to his union and to try to bring together the various miners’ groups from across the country. A product of this period of his leadership was the Mines Act of 1860, which allowed for election by miners of a checkweighman at each pit to ensure fair payment of wages.
Macdonald’s efforts to unify the miners bore fruit in November 1863 when at a meeting in Leeds
workers formed the Miners’ National Association and elected Macdonald as president. Macdonald was elected to the first parliamentary committee of the Trades Union Congress in 1871, and he served as chairman of the committee in 1872 and 1873. He lobbied the Liberal government over changes relating to trade union activities in the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1871, and the Mines Regulation Act of 1872. He later sat on the Royal Commission
on trade unions which reported in 1875, issuing a minority report calling for wider reform of labour laws than the main report had proposed.
In 1868, Macdonald was briefly selected to be one of the candidates to contest the parliamentary constituency of Kilmarnock Burghs
. However he chose to withdraw from the race to enable another advanced Liberal
candidate to have a better chance of success against the more moderate sitting Liberal MP, Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
.
In 1874, Macdonald was invited to stand as the Lib–Lab candidate for Stafford
at the 1874 general election
. Macdonald won the seat and with Thomas Burt
was among the first working-class members of the House of Commons
.
In Parliament Macdonald tended to concentrate on trade union matters but he was also a strong supporter of Irish Home Rule. Macdonald's views had always been moderate and he chose to work for reform within the parliamentary system rather than try to change things by radical direct action. This had previously led to challenges to his leadership of the miners when in 1864 the radical journalist John Towers, and the former Chartist
lawyer W. P. Roberts, withdrew from Macdonald’s National Association and established the Practical Miners' Association which tried to pursue a more aggressive industrial policy. They also accused Macdonald of being politically too close to the coal owners. Later, some socialists, such as Karl Marx
and Freidrich Engels, criticised Macdonald for his close relationship with Benjamin Disraeli and the Conservative Party
. Suspicion of Macdonald's approach was also fuelled by his friendship with the Tory
Lord Elcho
. Despite all the criticisms however, Macdonald retained the confidence of most miners throughout his life and remained president of the Miners’ National Union until the time of his death.
Macdonald was re-elected for Stafford in the 1880 general election
.
for a few weeks Macdonald died at his country home at Wellhall, near Hamilton
on 31 October 1881. He was buried at New Monkland churchyard.
Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour may refer to:* Liberal-Labour * Liberal-Labour...
politician.
Family and education
Macdonald was born in New Monkland, LanarkshireLanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, the son of Daniel McDonald and his wife Ann (née Watt). His father was an agricultural worker at that time but had formerly served in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and was later to work as a coal and iron miner. Macdonald, who adopted the longer spelling of his name in the 1870s, had little formal education as a boy, but in his twenties he attended evening classes
Part-Time Learner
Part-Time Adult Learner also Part-Time Learner refers to a subset of non-traditional learner who pursues higher education, typically after reaching physical maturity, while living off-campus, and possessing responsibilities related to family and/or employment...
, learning Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek. He also managed to fund attendance at winter sessions for students at Glasgow University from work as a coal miner during the summer months.
Career
At the age of eight Alexander joined his father down the mines. Macdonald worked in both coal and ironstone mines for the next sixteen years. Macdonald was one of the leaders of the 1842 Lanarkshire mining strike and after its defeat he lost his job forcing him to find work in another colliery. From 1849–1850 he worked as a mine manager.Macdonald’s education at Glasgow enabled him to become a teacher and he opened his own school in 1851. However, after four years he decided to concentrate his efforts in improving the pay and conditions of mine workers. In 1855 Macdonald formed a unified Scottish coal and ironstone miners’ association and the following year the organisation fought a severe cut in wages. After a three month strike, the miners were starved back to work and had to accept the lower wages offered to them. Undaunted by this failure, Macdonald continued to recruit members to his union and to try to bring together the various miners’ groups from across the country. A product of this period of his leadership was the Mines Act of 1860, which allowed for election by miners of a checkweighman at each pit to ensure fair payment of wages.
Macdonald’s efforts to unify the miners bore fruit in November 1863 when at a meeting in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
workers formed the Miners’ National Association and elected Macdonald as president. Macdonald was elected to the first parliamentary committee of the Trades Union Congress in 1871, and he served as chairman of the committee in 1872 and 1873. He lobbied the Liberal government over changes relating to trade union activities in the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1871, and the Mines Regulation Act of 1872. He later sat on the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on trade unions which reported in 1875, issuing a minority report calling for wider reform of labour laws than the main report had proposed.
Politics
Macdonald's campaigning led him to his later career in politics. In addition to his trade union activism, Macdonald also campaigned through journalism. He wrote many articles for the Glasgow Sentinel, a newspaper in which he invested and in which he later gained a controlling interest.In 1868, Macdonald was briefly selected to be one of the candidates to contest the parliamentary constituency of Kilmarnock Burghs
Kilmarnock Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilmarnock Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
. However he chose to withdraw from the race to enable another advanced 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...
candidate to have a better chance of success against the more moderate sitting Liberal MP, Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie PC, FRS , styled The Honourable from 1828, was a British Liberal politician. He was a member of Lord Palmerston's first administration as Paymaster-General and Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1855 and as President of the Poor Law Board between 1855 and...
.
In 1874, Macdonald was invited to stand as the Lib–Lab candidate for Stafford
Stafford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stafford is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The sitting MP is the Conservative Jeremy Lefroy....
at the 1874 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. Macdonald won the seat and with Thomas Burt
Thomas Burt
Thomas Burt PC was a British trade unionist and one of the first working-class Members of Parliament.-Career:...
was among the first working-class members of 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...
.
In Parliament Macdonald tended to concentrate on trade union matters but he was also a strong supporter of Irish Home Rule. Macdonald's views had always been moderate and he chose to work for reform within the parliamentary system rather than try to change things by radical direct action. This had previously led to challenges to his leadership of the miners when in 1864 the radical journalist John Towers, and the former Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
lawyer W. P. Roberts, withdrew from Macdonald’s National Association and established the Practical Miners' Association which tried to pursue a more aggressive industrial policy. They also accused Macdonald of being politically too close to the coal owners. Later, some socialists, such as Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Freidrich Engels, criticised Macdonald for his close relationship with Benjamin Disraeli and the Conservative Party
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...
. Suspicion of Macdonald's approach was also fuelled by his friendship with the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Lord Elcho
Hugo Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss
Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss and 7th Earl of March , styled Lord Elcho from 1883 to 1914, was a Scottish Conservative politician....
. Despite all the criticisms however, Macdonald retained the confidence of most miners throughout his life and remained president of the Miners’ National Union until the time of his death.
Macdonald was re-elected for Stafford in the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
.
Death
After suffering from jaundiceJaundice
Jaundice is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclerae , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia . This hyperbilirubinemia subsequently causes increased levels of bilirubin in the extracellular fluid...
for a few weeks Macdonald died at his country home at Wellhall, near Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
on 31 October 1881. He was buried at New Monkland churchyard.