Frederick Arthur Cobb
Encyclopedia
Frederick Arthur Cobb was a radio engineer and Labour Party
politician
in the United Kingdom
.
He was the son of a farmer and joined the merchant navy as a radio operator while still a youth, during the First World War. He later became a maintenance engineer in the 2LO
station which later became the BBC
. In 1926 he became chief engineer of the Indian Broadcasting Company
in Calcutta, where he remained for three years before becoming the general manager of a firm in High Wycombe
producing radio and television equipment.
In the landslide election of 1945
he won the Elland
constituency from the Conservatives
. When this seat was abolished for the 1950 general election
he transferred to the new constituency
of Brighouse and Spenborough
which covered much of the same area. He died just over a month later, making the government's slender majority even more precarious until the party held the seat a by-election in May 1950
.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the United Kingdom
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...
.
He was the son of a farmer and joined the merchant navy as a radio operator while still a youth, during the First World War. He later became a maintenance engineer in the 2LO
2LO
2LO was the second radio station to regularly broadcast in the United Kingdom . It began broadcasting on 11 May 1922, for one hour a day from the seventh floor of Marconi House in London's Strand...
station which later became the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. In 1926 he became chief engineer of the Indian Broadcasting Company
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
in Calcutta, where he remained for three years before becoming the general manager of a firm in High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
producing radio and television equipment.
In the landslide election of 1945
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
he won the Elland
Elland (UK Parliament constituency)
Elland was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire that existed between 1885 and 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
constituency from 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...
. When this seat was abolished for the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
he transferred to the new constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Brighouse and Spenborough
Brighouse and Spenborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Brighouse and Spenborough was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire, comprising the areas of the two municipal boroughs of Brighouse and Spenborough...
which covered much of the same area. He died just over a month later, making the government's slender majority even more precarious until the party held the seat a by-election in May 1950
Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1950
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons in the marginal constituency of Brighouse and Spenborough on 4 May 1950. The seat became vacant following the death of Member of Parliament Frederick Arthur Cobb....
.