Victor Harold Finney
Encyclopedia
Victor Harold Finney was an English film company executive and Liberal Party
politician.
where he obtained his BA
degree in Modern History in 1922 and his MA
in 1925. In 1928 he married Aileen Rose Whitely-Gallagher whose family originated in County Cork
.
Ltd and was a senior executive of the company from 1943-1966.
as the Liberal candidate for the Northumberland
constituency of Hexham
. In a three-cornered contest he came second to the sitting Conservative
MP, Douglas Clifton Brown
, with Labour
's George Shield
, later MP for Wansbeck
in third place.
and this time in a straight fight with Clifton Brown he won the seat by a majority of 2,406 votes. However in 1924
the Conservative Party
resurgent and with Labour again standing a candidate, Finney was unable to retain his seat which reverted to Clifton Brown who then held it until 1951 when he was created Viscount Ruffside. Finney did not stand for Parliament again.
launched a political campaign with the publication of a manifesto
, signed mainly by nonconformist church leaders, attacking the government for the failure of its domestic and foreign policies. The document announced the setting up of non-party, Council of Action for Peace and Reconstruction to be established by a convention to be held at Caxton Hall, Westminster on 1 July 1935. The Council was apparently inspired by the New Deal
of President Franklin D Roosevelt.
There followed an initial statement, quickly withdrawn, that the Council of Action would stand up to 350 candidates at the next general election. Lloyd George's plan seems to have been to frighten Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin
with the prospect of Labour wins in many constituencies as a result of the intervention of Council of Action candidates, where supported by the local Liberal parties and to get his National Government to make policy concessions in areas favoured by Lloyd George. It also seems to have been a convenient device for Lloyd George to get out of political commitments which he did not wish to enter. His secretary, A J Sylvester, recorded that he often used his association with the Council, as a non-political body, to avoid meetings based on party politics.
Victor Finney was a strong supporter of this campaign and its objectives. He went on to become the organising secretary of the Council of Action at its headquarters in Abbey Street, Westminster and later at Horseferry House, Horseferry Road
just behind Lloyd George's own offices in Thames House
. He often accompanied Lloyd George to meetings in Britain and abroad and was a regular visitor to north Wales. By the time of the 1935 general election
in November however, the Council of Action was finding it hard to make a real impact. It published two booklets on Peace and Reconstruction and sent a questionnaire to all candidates but Lloyd George himself did not campaign nationally as its figurehead. The National Government was re-elected and although sixty-seven candidates endorsed by the Council of Action won seats in Parliament, they never tried to behave as a group. Finney recognised that the Council of Action could only be a success if Lloyd George committed to it more actively and permanently but he was not able to persuade him so while the Council of Action was kept going until 1940, it was unable to exercise much political influence.
During his time working with Lloyd George, Finney came under the Welshman's suspicion of having an affair with Frances Stevenson
Lloyd George's long-time secretary and lover, later his second wife. During a meeting in Antibes
in 1938, Lloyd George was discovered listening at a wall, apparently fearful that Finney and Frances Stevenson were engaged in a secret liaison in the next room. No-one else seems to have given the idea of affair any credence and it has been put down to Lloyd George's increasing jealousy and his tendency to judge everyone else by his own, lax, sexual standards. Lloyd George kept up the paranoia into 1939 with his secretary recording that he often looked into Frances Stevenson's room in the dead of night to make sure Finney was not with her.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Victor Harold Finney was the son of John T Finney of Sunderland. He was educated at Durham UniversityDurham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
where he obtained his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Modern History in 1922 and his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1925. In 1928 he married Aileen Rose Whitely-Gallagher whose family originated in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Career
Finney worked in the film industry as an employee of the Rank OrganisationRank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
Ltd and was a senior executive of the company from 1943-1966.
Parliamentary candidate
Finney first stood for Parliament at the 1922 general electionUnited 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...
as the Liberal candidate for the Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
constituency of Hexham
Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 2000s :- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :- Elections in the 1970s :-Notes and references:...
. In a three-cornered contest he came second to the sitting 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...
MP, Douglas Clifton Brown
Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st Viscount Ruffside
Colonel Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st Viscount Ruffside PC, DL, JP was a British politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1943 to 1951.-Background and education:...
, with 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...
's George Shield
George Shield
George William Shield was a British Labour Party politician.At the 1922 election, he stood unsuccessfully in the Conservative-held Hexham constituency in Northumberland, coming third with 24% of the votes....
, later MP for Wansbeck
Wansbeck (UK Parliament constituency)
Wansbeck is a parliamentary 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.- Boundaries :...
in third place.
Member of Parliament
Finney stood again in Hexham at the 1923 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
and this time in a straight fight with Clifton Brown he won the seat by a majority of 2,406 votes. However in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
the Conservative Party
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...
resurgent and with Labour again standing a candidate, Finney was unable to retain his seat which reverted to Clifton Brown who then held it until 1951 when he was created Viscount Ruffside. Finney did not stand for Parliament again.
Lloyd George's Council of Action
On 12 June 1935, David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
launched a political campaign with the publication of a manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
, signed mainly by nonconformist church leaders, attacking the government for the failure of its domestic and foreign policies. The document announced the setting up of non-party, Council of Action for Peace and Reconstruction to be established by a convention to be held at Caxton Hall, Westminster on 1 July 1935. The Council was apparently inspired by the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
of President Franklin D Roosevelt.
There followed an initial statement, quickly withdrawn, that the Council of Action would stand up to 350 candidates at the next general election. Lloyd George's plan seems to have been to frighten Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
with the prospect of Labour wins in many constituencies as a result of the intervention of Council of Action candidates, where supported by the local Liberal parties and to get his National Government to make policy concessions in areas favoured by Lloyd George. It also seems to have been a convenient device for Lloyd George to get out of political commitments which he did not wish to enter. His secretary, A J Sylvester, recorded that he often used his association with the Council, as a non-political body, to avoid meetings based on party politics.
Victor Finney was a strong supporter of this campaign and its objectives. He went on to become the organising secretary of the Council of Action at its headquarters in Abbey Street, Westminster and later at Horseferry House, Horseferry Road
Horseferry Road
Horseferry Road is a street in the City of Westminster in central London, England, running between Millbank and Greycoat Place. It is perhaps best known as the site of City of Westminster Magistrates' Court...
just behind Lloyd George's own offices in Thames House
Thames House
Thames House is an office development in Millbank, London, on the north bank of the River Thames adjacent to Lambeth Bridge, designed originally as commercial head offices...
. He often accompanied Lloyd George to meetings in Britain and abroad and was a regular visitor to north Wales. By the time of the 1935 general election
United 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...
in November however, the Council of Action was finding it hard to make a real impact. It published two booklets on Peace and Reconstruction and sent a questionnaire to all candidates but Lloyd George himself did not campaign nationally as its figurehead. The National Government was re-elected and although sixty-seven candidates endorsed by the Council of Action won seats in Parliament, they never tried to behave as a group. Finney recognised that the Council of Action could only be a success if Lloyd George committed to it more actively and permanently but he was not able to persuade him so while the Council of Action was kept going until 1940, it was unable to exercise much political influence.
During his time working with Lloyd George, Finney came under the Welshman's suspicion of having an affair with Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson, Countess Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, CBE was the mistress, personal secretary, confidante and second wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George....
Lloyd George's long-time secretary and lover, later his second wife. During a meeting in Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
in 1938, Lloyd George was discovered listening at a wall, apparently fearful that Finney and Frances Stevenson were engaged in a secret liaison in the next room. No-one else seems to have given the idea of affair any credence and it has been put down to Lloyd George's increasing jealousy and his tendency to judge everyone else by his own, lax, sexual standards. Lloyd George kept up the paranoia into 1939 with his secretary recording that he often looked into Frances Stevenson's room in the dead of night to make sure Finney was not with her.