Treasurer of the Labour Party
Encyclopedia
The Treasurer of the Labour Party is a position on the National Executive Committee
of the British Labour Party
.
Although a post with little power, in the past, it was often hotly contested by people who later became big names in British politics: Arthur Greenwood
beat Herbert Morrison
in 1943, Hugh Gaitskell
beat Aneurin Bevan
in 1954, who in turn beat George Brown
in 1956, while James Callaghan
beat Michael Foot
in 1967.
Since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
(PPERA) came into force, the Labour Party has had to register a Treasurer to the Electoral Commission
, who becomes legally responsible for various returns to the Electoral Commission. It has been the practice of the NEC to register the full-time General Secretary
as Treasurer under PPERA, rather than the elected volunteer Treasurer. This has created two Treasurer roles within the party, so to disambiguate these roles the elected Treasurer is often called Party Treasurer, and the PPERA Treasurer is often called Registered Treasurer. The party accounts are signed by both treasurers using these titles, though under PPERA only the General Secretary need sign them.
In 2008 the post was contested by the incumbent Jack Dromey
and by human rights lawyer Mark McDonald, with Dromey being re-elected. In 2010, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
was defeated by Diana Holland.
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
of the British 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...
.
Although a post with little power, in the past, it was often hotly contested by people who later became big names in British politics: Arthur Greenwood
Arthur Greenwood
Arthur Greenwood CH was a prominent member of the Labour Party from the 1920s until the late 1940s. He rose to prominence within the party as secretary of its research department from 1920 and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health in the short-lived Labour government of 1924...
beat Herbert Morrison
Herbert Morrison
Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth, CH, PC was a British Labour politician; he held a various number of senior positions in the Cabinet, including Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.-Early life:Morrison was the son of a police constable and was born in...
in 1943, Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
beat Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
in 1954, who in turn beat George Brown
George Brown, Baron George-Brown
George Alfred Brown, Baron George-Brown, PC was a British Labour politician, who served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970, and served in a number of positions in the Cabinet, most notably as Foreign Secretary, in the Labour Government of the 1960s...
in 1956, while James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
beat Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
in 1967.
Since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets out how political parties, elections and referendums are to be regulated in the United Kingdom...
(PPERA) came into force, the Labour Party has had to register a Treasurer to the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
, who becomes legally responsible for various returns to the Electoral Commission. It has been the practice of the NEC to register the full-time General Secretary
General Secretary of the Labour Party
The General Secretary is the most senior employee of the British Labour Party, and acts as the non-voting secretary to the National Executive Committee...
as Treasurer under PPERA, rather than the elected volunteer Treasurer. This has created two Treasurer roles within the party, so to disambiguate these roles the elected Treasurer is often called Party Treasurer, and the PPERA Treasurer is often called Registered Treasurer. The party accounts are signed by both treasurers using these titles, though under PPERA only the General Secretary need sign them.
In 2008 the post was contested by the incumbent Jack Dromey
Jack Dromey
Jack Dromey MP is a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist, who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington since 2010...
and by human rights lawyer Mark McDonald, with Dromey being re-elected. In 2010, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
was defeated by Diana Holland.
List of Treasurers
- 1904: Arthur HendersonArthur HendersonArthur Henderson was a British iron moulder and Labour politician. He was the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and he served three short terms as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1908–1910, 1914–1917 and 1931-1932....
- 1912: Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
- 1929: Arthur HendersonArthur HendersonArthur Henderson was a British iron moulder and Labour politician. He was the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and he served three short terms as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1908–1910, 1914–1917 and 1931-1932....
- 1936: George LathanGeorge LathanGeorge Lathan was a British trade unionist and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Park from 1929 to 1931 and from 1935 until his death....
- 1943: Arthur GreenwoodArthur GreenwoodArthur Greenwood CH was a prominent member of the Labour Party from the 1920s until the late 1940s. He rose to prominence within the party as secretary of its research department from 1920 and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health in the short-lived Labour government of 1924...
- 1954: Hugh GaitskellHugh GaitskellHugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
- 1956: Aneurin BevanAneurin BevanAneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
- 1960: Harry NicholasHarry NicholasHerbert Richard Nicholas was a trade unionist and political organiser.Born in Bristol, Nicholas worked for the Port of Bristol Authority until 1936, when he took a full-time post in the Transport and General Workers' Union . He moved to London to become National Officer in 1940, and in 1956 rose...
- 1964: Dai Davies
- 1967: James CallaghanJames CallaghanLeonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
- 1976: Norman AtkinsonNorman AtkinsonNorman Atkinson is a British politician who served as Labour Member of Parliament for the London constituency of Tottenham from 1964 until 1987....
- 1981: Eric VarleyEric VarleyEric Graham Varley, Baron Varley, PC was an English politician and former Cabinet Minister on the right wing of the Labour Party....
- 1983: Albert BoothAlbert BoothAlbert Edward Booth was a British Labour Party politician.Booth was educated at Marine School, South Shields and Rutherford College of Technology . He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962-65.Booth contested Tynemouth in 1964...
- 1984: Sam McCluskieSam McCluskieSam McCluskie was a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist. He came from Leith in Edinburgh. He followed Albert Booth as Treasurer of the Labour Party from 1984 to 1992. He was general secretary of the National Union of Seamen from 1986 up to the merger which formed the RMT in 1990...
- 1992: Tom Burlison
- 1996: Margaret ProsserMargaret ProsserMargaret Theresa Prosser, Baroness Prosser, OBE is a Labour life peer and Deputy Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.On 11 June 2004, she was created Baroness Prosser, of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth....
- 2001: Jimmy Elsby
- 2004: Jack DromeyJack DromeyJack Dromey MP is a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist, who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington since 2010...
- 2010: Diana Holland