Thomas Hubbard
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frederick Hubbard (October 1898 – 7 January 1961) was a British
coal miner
and politician. He represented Kirkcaldy Burghs
in Parliament
for fifteen years, being a somewhat low-profile Member but often speaking in support of better conditions for pensioners.
, Hubbard attended only the local elementary school before going to work as a grocer's
assistant. During the First World War he enlisted in the Royal Navy
, serving throughout the conflict. After the end of the war, he became a miner. He joined the Labour Party
shortly after, and in 1922 married Jessie Cooper of Dysart
; they had two sons.
superintendent.
(MP) for Kirkcaldy
, Tom Kennedy
, announced his resignation
in January 1944. Hubbard was selected to fight the seat on 22 January; he faced opposition from Douglas Young
, leader of the Scottish National Party
, and a candidate standing as a 'Christian Socialist'. Hubbard won by 1,647 votes.
of 30s.
per week; the rate at the time was 10s./week. From 1946 to 1947, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Secretary of State for Scotland
, Joseph Westwood
.
coalfield, Hubbard argued that it was in "splendid isolation" because the government refused to build a Forth road bridge. His health was not good and in March 1954 he collapsed in the lobby of the House of Commons. Hubbard, a heavy cigarette smoker
, was sceptical of the connection to lung cancer
and asked in 1957 about the connections between lung cancer and air pollution
.
Hubbard retired at the 1959 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...
coal miner
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and politician. He represented Kirkcaldy Burghs
Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Kirkcaldy Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for fifteen years, being a somewhat low-profile Member but often speaking in support of better conditions for pensioners.
Origins
A native of KirkcaldyKirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, Hubbard attended only the local elementary school before going to work as a grocer's
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
assistant. During the First World War he enlisted in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, serving throughout the conflict. After the end of the war, he became a miner. He joined the 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...
shortly after, and in 1922 married Jessie Cooper of Dysart
Dysart
Dysart is a former town and royal burgh located on the south-east coast between Kirkcaldy and West Wemyss in Fife. The town is now considered to be a suburb of Kirkcaldy. Dysart was once part of a wider estate owned by the St Clair or Sinclair family...
; they had two sons.
Politics
Hubbard was elected to Kirkcaldy Town Council in 1936, and also served on the executive of the Fifeshire Miners' Association. In 1941 he suffered a severe leg injury at work, and retired from mining to become instead an Air-raid shelterAir-raid shelter
Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...
superintendent.
By-election candidate
The sitting Labour Member of ParliamentMember 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 Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy (UK Parliament constituency)
Kirkcaldy was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Fife, returning one Member of Parliament . It existed from the February 1974 election until its abolition in 2005.-Boundaries:...
, Tom Kennedy
Tom Kennedy (UK politician)
Thomas Kennedy PC was a Scottish Labour politician.Kennedy was born in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, and became a railway clerk. He joined the Social Democratic Federation and soon became its organiser for Aberdeen, standing for Parliament in Aberdeen North in 1906 and January 1910...
, announced his resignation
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
in January 1944. Hubbard was selected to fight the seat on 22 January; he faced opposition from Douglas Young
Douglas Young (classicist)
Professor Douglas Young ; June 5, 1913 – October 23, 1973) was a Scottish poet, scholar, and translator. He was the leader of the Scottish National Party from 1942 to 1945.Young was born in Tayport, Fife...
, leader of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, and a candidate standing as a 'Christian Socialist'. Hubbard won by 1,647 votes.
Parliament
Hubbard only rarely intervened in debate, concentrating on issues he knew well including the Scottish mining industry. In November 1944 he called for a universal state pensionPension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
of 30s.
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
per week; the rate at the time was 10s./week. From 1946 to 1947, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
, Joseph Westwood
Joseph Westwood
Joseph Westwood was a Scottish Labour politician.Educated at Buckhaven Higher Grade School, he worked as a draper's apprentice, messenger boy and miner...
.
Pensions
A strong supporter of nationalisation, Hubbard regarded economic planning as assuring workers that increased production would not mean increased unemployment. In 1951 he urged that compulsory retirement ages imposed by trade and professional associations be dropped, and that in industry it could be provided that two aged men could do the work of one. He became a Vice-President of the British Council of the Old Age Pension Association, and hon. President of the Scottish Old Age Pension Association.Health
Supporting development of the FifeFife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
coalfield, Hubbard argued that it was in "splendid isolation" because the government refused to build a Forth road bridge. His health was not good and in March 1954 he collapsed in the lobby of the House of Commons. Hubbard, a heavy cigarette smoker
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
, was sceptical of the connection to lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
and asked in 1957 about the connections between lung cancer and air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
.
Hubbard retired at the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.