Maurice Edelman
Encyclopedia
Maurice Edelman was a British
Labour Party
politician and novelist who represented Coventry
constituencies in the House of Commons for over 30 years.
High School and Trinity College, Cambridge
and joined the plywood industry in 1931 as a company director.
as a war correspondent in North Africa.
Edelman was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Coventry West
. In 1950, he won in the new seat of Coventry North
. He was a vice-chairman of the British Council
and chairman of the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee
.
Following further boundary changes in 1974, Edelman represented Coventry North West
until his death in 1975. His successor was Geoffrey Robinson
, who won a by-election on 4 March 1976
.
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...
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...
politician and novelist who represented Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
constituencies in the House of Commons for over 30 years.
Early life
Maurice Edelman was born in Cardiff in 1911. His parents came to Wales in 1905, escaping the pogroms in Russia and Poland. He was educated at CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
High School and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
and joined the plywood industry in 1931 as a company director.
Writing career
Edelman was a prolific journalist and author of several works of fiction and non fiction. During the 2nd World War he worked for Picture PostPicture Post
Picture Post was a prominent photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months...
as a war correspondent in North Africa.
Political Career and Death
At the 1945 electionUnited 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...
Edelman was elected as 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,...
(MP) for Coventry West
Coventry West (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry West was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Coventry in the West Midlands. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
. In 1950, he won in the new seat of Coventry North
Coventry North (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry North was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Coventry in the West Midlands. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
. He was a vice-chairman of the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
and chairman of the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Following further boundary changes in 1974, Edelman represented Coventry North West
Coventry North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry North West is a borough constituency in the city of Coventry which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
until his death in 1975. His successor was Geoffrey Robinson
Geoffrey Robinson
Geoffrey Robinson is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North West since 1976. He was Paymaster General from May 1997 to January 1999, resigning after it was revealed that he had lent his government colleague Peter Mandelson £373,000 to buy a house...
, who won a by-election on 4 March 1976
Coventry North West by-election, 1976
The Coventry North West by-election, in Coventry, on 4 March 1976 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament Maurice Edelman. A safe Labour seat, it was won by Geoffrey Robinson, who would go on to retain the seat in 1979.-Party performance:...
.