Stafford Cripps
Overview
 
Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (24 April 1889 – 21 April 1952) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 Labour politician
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...

 of the first half of the 20th century. During 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...

 he served in a number of positions in the wartime coalition, including Ambassador to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 and Minister of Aircraft Production
Minister of Aircraft Production
The Minister of Aircraft Production was the British government position in charge of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, one of the specialised supply ministries set up by the British Government during World War II...

. After the war he served in the Attlee Ministry, firstly as President of the Board of Trade and between 1947 and 1950 as Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...

. In the latter position, Cripps was responsible for laying the foundations of Britain’s post-war economic prosperity, and was, according to the historian Eric Shaw, “the real architect of the rapidly improving economic picture and growing affluence from 1952 onwards.”
Cripps was born in London.
Quotations

But it is a fallacy, if one is examining the methods by which security can be attained, to start upon the assumption, as so many hon. Members do, that we get security by an increase of air armaments or an increase of any other form of armaments.

Hansard, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 292, col. 2425.

It is fundamental to Socialism that we should liquidate the British Empire as soon as we can.

Hull Daily Mail, 2 March, 1936.

Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting for the Armed Forces

Forward, 3 October, 1936.

I do not believe it would be a bad thing for the British working class if Germany defeated us.

The Times, 15 November, 1936.

The workers must now make it clear beyond all doubt that they will not support the Government or its armaments in its mad policy which it is now pursuing.

Speech on 23 May, 1938.

Emphatically no, and I never have been.

Peter Howard, "Men on Trial" (Blandford Press, 1945), p. 69

 
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