Reginald Blair
Encyclopedia
Sir Reginald Blair, 1st Baronet (8 November 1881 – 18 September 1962) was a British
politician
. He served as a Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1912 to 1922, and from 1935 to 1945.
in 1881. He was educated at Kelvinside Academy
and Glasgow University
, after which he became an accountant
. Blair was married, and had a son Malcolm Reginald Blair, who died on 31 May 1940, aged 33, while in active service in World War II
.
in the Bow and Bromley
constituency on 26 November 1912. The by-election was caused by George Lansbury
, the Labour
MP, taking the Chiltern Hundreds
, a way of resigning from the House of Commons. Lansbury caused the by-election to highlight the issue of women’s suffrage
, but the Labour Party did not endorse him as their candidate so he stood as an independent
on a platform of "Votes for Women". Labour did not stand a candidate, and Blair won the by-election by a majority of 751 votes.
For the first two years of World War I
, Blair served with the British Expeditionary Force and was Mentioned in Despatches. From 1916 to 1918, he served as a field cashier with the temporary rank of Major
. Reginald Blair held his seat in the 1918 general election
, but was defeated in 1922
by Lansbury, who remained Bow and Bromley’s MP until his death in 1940. Following his election defeat, Blair was knight
ed, and became the Chairman of the Racehorse Betting Control Board.
, Reginald Blair was elected as MP for Hendon
, succeeding the Conservative Philip Cunliffe-Lister
. On 19 June 1945, he was created a baronet
, of Harrow Weald
, Middlesex
. His Hendon seat was abolished for the 1945 general election
, and he retired. Reginald Blair died in 1962, aged 80, and was buried in Harrow Cemetery in Harrow, London
. The baronetcy became extinct on his death.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served as a Conservative
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...
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) from 1912 to 1922, and from 1935 to 1945.
Early life
Blair was born in GlasgowGlasgow
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...
in 1881. He was educated at Kelvinside Academy
Kelvinside Academy
Kelvinside Academy is a private school in the City of Glasgow, Scotland, founded in 1878. It has a capacity of 640 pupils and spans two years of Junior Start , six years of Junior School , and seven years of Senior School , comprising fifteen years in all...
and Glasgow University
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, after which he became an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
. Blair was married, and had a son Malcolm Reginald Blair, who died on 31 May 1940, aged 33, while in active service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early career
Blair was first elected to Parliament in a by-electionBow and Bromley by-election, 1912
The Bow and Bromley by-election was a by-election held on 26 November 1912 for the British House of Commons constituency of Bow and Bromley. It was triggered when the Labour Party Member of Parliament , George Lansbury, accepted the post of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds as a technical measure...
in the Bow and Bromley
Bow and Bromley (UK Parliament constituency)
Bow and Bromley was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Located in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in London, it was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act for the 1885 general election and returned one Member of Parliament until it was abolished by the 1950 general...
constituency on 26 November 1912. The by-election was caused by George Lansbury
George Lansbury
George Lansbury was a British politician, socialist, Christian pacifist and newspaper editor. He was a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1912 and from 1922 to 1940, and leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935....
, the 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...
MP, taking the Chiltern Hundreds
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
, a way of resigning from the House of Commons. Lansbury caused the by-election to highlight the issue of women’s suffrage
Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom as a national movement began in 1872. Women were not prohibited from voting in the United Kingdom until the 1832 Reform Act and the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act...
, but the Labour Party did not endorse him as their candidate so he stood as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
on a platform of "Votes for Women". Labour did not stand a candidate, and Blair won the by-election by a majority of 751 votes.
For the first two years of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Blair served with the British Expeditionary Force and was Mentioned in Despatches. From 1916 to 1918, he served as a field cashier with the temporary rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. Reginald Blair held his seat in 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...
, but was defeated in 1922
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...
by Lansbury, who remained Bow and Bromley’s MP until his death in 1940. Following his election defeat, Blair was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed, and became the Chairman of the Racehorse Betting Control Board.
Later career
In the 1935 general electionUnited 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...
, Reginald Blair was elected as MP for Hendon
Hendon (UK Parliament constituency)
Hendon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The current MP, since 2010, is Matthew Offord of the Conservative Party.-History:The constituency was originally...
, succeeding the Conservative Philip Cunliffe-Lister
Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton
Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton GBE, CH, MC, PC , known as Philip Lloyd-Greame until 1924 and as The Viscount Swinton from 1935 until 1955, was a prominent British Conservative politician from the 1920s until the 1950s.-Background and early life:Born as Philip Lloyd-Graeme, he was the...
. On 19 June 1945, he was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, of Harrow Weald
Harrow Weald
Harrow Weald is an area in north-west London, England. It includes a suburban development and forms part of the London Borough of Harrow.-Locale, geography and history:...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. His Hendon seat was abolished for the 1945 general election
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...
, and he retired. Reginald Blair died in 1962, aged 80, and was buried in Harrow Cemetery in Harrow, London
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
. The baronetcy became extinct on his death.