John Robertson (Scottish Labour Party founder)
Encyclopedia
John Robertson was a British
politician, who sat as a Labour
Member of Parliament
before co-founding the Scottish Labour Party
(SLP) in 1976.
Robertson was a toolmaker and engineer and was assistant divisional organiser of the Amalgamated Engineering Union 1954-61 and secretary of the Scottish
Iron and Steel Trades Joint Committee. He served as a councillor on Lanarkshire
County Council
and Motherwell and Wishaw
Council from 1946.
At the 1951 general election
Robertson stood as the Labour candidate in the marginal Conservative-held seat of Glasgow Scotstoun
, losing by 625 votes. He was elected to the House of Commons
ten years later at the 1961 by-election
in the Paisley
constituency, following the appointment of sitting MP Douglas Johnston
as a judge in the Court of Session
. He was re-elected at five subsequent general elections, sitting as a Labour MP until 1976, and for the SLP between 1976 and 1979. He did not contest the 1979 general election
.
On 18 January 1976 Robertson, along with another Labour MP, Jim Sillars
and Labour's senior Scottish researcher, Alex Neil, officially established the Scottish Labour Party (SLP).
The formation of the SLP was prompted as a left-wing split from the mainstream Labour Party over distrust about how strong the then Labour government's stated commitment to Scottish devolution
was in reality. Robertson was a leading figure in the SLP, along with Sillars, but unlike Sillars he stood down at the 1979 general election
, deciding not to contest his Paisley seat. The Scottish Labour Party was officially disbanded in 1981, after failing to win any seats at the 1979 general election
.
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...
politician, who sat as a Labour
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...
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,...
before co-founding the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party (1976)
The Scottish Labour Party was formed on January 18, 1976, as a breakaway from the UK Labour Party, by members disaffected with the then Labour Government's failure to secure a devolved Scottish Assembly, as well as with its social and economic agenda...
(SLP) in 1976.
Robertson was a toolmaker and engineer and was assistant divisional organiser of the Amalgamated Engineering Union 1954-61 and secretary of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Iron and Steel Trades Joint Committee. He served as a councillor on Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
and Motherwell and Wishaw
Motherwell and Wishaw (UK Parliament constituency)
Motherwell and Wishaw is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1974, mostly from Motherwell...
Council from 1946.
At the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
Robertson stood as the Labour candidate in the marginal Conservative-held seat of Glasgow Scotstoun
Glasgow Scotstoun (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Scotstoun was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
, losing by 625 votes. He was elected to 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...
ten years later at the 1961 by-election
Paisley by-election, 1961
The Paisley by-election, 1961 was a parliamentary by-election held on 20 April 1961 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley in Scotland....
in the Paisley
Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
constituency, following the appointment of sitting MP Douglas Johnston
Douglas Johnston, Lord Johnston
Douglas Harold Johnston TD was a Scottish Advocate, politician and Judge. He served as a Minister in the government of Clement Attlee and ended his career as a Senator of the College of Justice...
as a judge in the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
. He was re-elected at five subsequent general elections, sitting as a Labour MP until 1976, and for the SLP between 1976 and 1979. He did not contest the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
.
On 18 January 1976 Robertson, along with another Labour MP, Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars is a Scottish politician. He is married to current member of the Scottish Parliament, Margo MacDonald.-Early life:...
and Labour's senior Scottish researcher, Alex Neil, officially established the Scottish Labour Party (SLP).
The formation of the SLP was prompted as a left-wing split from the mainstream Labour Party over distrust about how strong the then Labour government's stated commitment to Scottish devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
was in reality. Robertson was a leading figure in the SLP, along with Sillars, but unlike Sillars he stood down at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, deciding not to contest his Paisley seat. The Scottish Labour Party was officially disbanded in 1981, after failing to win any seats at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
.