Peter Kerrigan
Encyclopedia
Peter Kerrigan was a communist activist in Britain
.
Born in the Hutchesontown
area of Glasgow
, Kerrigan was apprenticed on the railways before serving in the Royal Scots from 1918 until 1920. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
(CPGB) in 1921, but left in 1922 after the party declined to oppose Labour Party
candidates in the general election.
Kerrigan rejoined the CPGB in 1924 and also became active in the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU), achieving particular prominence during the British General Strike. He attended the Third Congress of the Red International of Labour Unions and the Fifth Congress of the Comintern
and in 1927 was elected to the Executive of the CPGB.
In 1929, Kerrigan attended the Lenin School in Moscow
, and the following year, he was appointed the CPGB's Scottish Organiser. He was active in organising anti-unemployment
marches and supporting Willie Gallacher
's successful Parliament candidacy in West Fife. In 1935, he became the CPGB's representative to the Comintern, and during the Spanish Civil War
he served as commissar for English-speaking volunteers in the International Brigade, then later as the Spanish correspondent of the Daily Worker
.
From 1939 until 1942 Kerrigan served as the CPGB's industrial organiser, then national organiser from 1943 to 1951. He stood for Parliament at Glasgow Shettleston
in 1945 and in the Glasgow Gorbals
from 1948 onwards, but was unsuccessful on all occasions.
Kerrigan became the CPGB's national industrial organiser again in 1951, holding the post until 1965. In 1957, he acted as returning officer
in a hotly disputed Electrical Trades Union
election involving a CPGB member. This resulted in party members being found guilty of conspiracy
and fraud
, and after a further incident in 1964, he stepped down from the party executive.
After the death of Francisco Franco
, Kerrigan worked to raise money for the previously underground communist newspaper Mundo Obrera.
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...
.
Born in the Hutchesontown
Hutchesontown
Hutchesontown is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. It forms part of the Gorbals.In McNeill Street, Hutchesontown has one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, deftly designed by the Inverness born architect James Robert Rhind.Following the...
area of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Kerrigan was apprenticed on the railways before serving in the Royal Scots from 1918 until 1920. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
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:...
(CPGB) in 1921, but left in 1922 after the party declined to oppose 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...
candidates in the general election.
Kerrigan rejoined the CPGB in 1924 and also became active in the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU), achieving particular prominence during the British General Strike. He attended the Third Congress of the Red International of Labour Unions and the Fifth Congress of the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
and in 1927 was elected to the Executive of the CPGB.
In 1929, Kerrigan attended the Lenin School in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and the following year, he was appointed the CPGB's Scottish Organiser. He was active in organising anti-unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
marches and supporting Willie Gallacher
Willie Gallacher
William "Willie" Gallacher was a Scottish trade unionist, activist and communist. He was one of the leading figures of the Shop Stewards' Movement in wartime Glasgow and a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain...
's successful Parliament candidacy in West Fife. In 1935, he became the CPGB's representative to the Comintern, and during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
he served as commissar for English-speaking volunteers in the International Brigade, then later as the Spanish correspondent of the Daily Worker
Daily Worker
The Daily Worker was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a formerly Comintern-affiliated organization. Publication began in 1924. While it generally reflected the prevailing views of the party, some attempts were made to make it appear that the paper reflected a...
.
From 1939 until 1942 Kerrigan served as the CPGB's industrial organiser, then national organiser from 1943 to 1951. He stood for Parliament at Glasgow Shettleston
Glasgow Shettleston (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Shettleston was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005. The Shettleston area is represented is now covered by Glasgow Central and Glasgow East.-Boundaries:...
in 1945 and in the Glasgow Gorbals
Glasgow Gorbals (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Gorbals was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Glasgow. From 1918 until 1974, 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.-Boundaries:...
from 1948 onwards, but was unsuccessful on all occasions.
Kerrigan became the CPGB's national industrial organiser again in 1951, holding the post until 1965. In 1957, he acted as returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
in a hotly disputed Electrical Trades Union
Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, known as the EETPU was a British trade union formed in 1968 as a union for electricians.-History:...
election involving a CPGB member. This resulted in party members being found guilty of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
and fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, and after a further incident in 1964, he stepped down from the party executive.
After the death of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, Kerrigan worked to raise money for the previously underground communist newspaper Mundo Obrera.