George Hardie (Labour politician)
Encyclopedia
George Downie Blyth Crookston Hardie (1874 – 26 July 1937) was a Scottish
Labour politician, and the younger brother of the party's founder Keir Hardie
.
After leaving school, he became an engineer and an activist in the Independent Labour Party
.
He first stood for election to the House of Commons at the 1918 general election
, when he unsuccessfully contested the Glasgow Springburn
constituency for the Labour Party
. He won the Springburn seat with a large majority at the 1922 general election
, helped by the absence of a Liberal Party
candidate. He was re-elected at the next three general elections, but when Labour's vote collapsed at the 1931 general election
, Hardie was one of those who lost his seat — by a majority of only 34 votes, the left-wing vote having been divided by the presence of a Communist Party
candidate.
Hardie was re-elected with a large majority at the 1935 general election
, and died in office two years later.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
Labour politician, and the younger brother of the party's founder Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
.
After leaving school, he became an engineer and an activist in the 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...
.
He first stood for election to the House of Commons at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, when he unsuccessfully contested the Glasgow Springburn
Glasgow Springburn (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Springburn was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until the 2005 general election, when it was largely replaced by the Glasgow North East constituency....
constituency for the 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...
. He won the Springburn seat with a large majority at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, helped by the absence of a Liberal Party
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. He was re-elected at the next three general elections, but when Labour's vote collapsed at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
, Hardie was one of those who lost his seat — by a majority of only 34 votes, the left-wing vote having been divided by the presence of a Communist Party
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
candidate.
Hardie was re-elected with a large majority at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, and died in office two years later.