William McKeag
Encyclopedia
William McKeag was a British politician, soldier and solicitor. His political affiliations changed over the years from Liberal
to National Liberal
, back to Liberal and finally to Conservative
but he never wavered from a fierce loyalty to his native North East of England and was described in his obituary in The Times
newspaper as one of the North East’s leading figures, a keen publicist for the area and for Tyneside
in particular.
, the son of William McKeag of Carrville
near Belmont
. In 1922 he married Marie Elizabeth the daughter of William Corn Crow of Newcastle upon Tyne
. They had two sons and a daughter. McKeag was educated at Belmont School, at Johnston’s School in Durham
and privately.
commanders Anton Ivanovich Denikin
and Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel
and during his time in Russia he became the youngest First-Class Warrant Officer
in the British Army. During his service he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
as well as two Russian decorations, the Order of Saint Stanislaus
and the Order of Saint Anne.
During the Second World War McKeag attained the rank of Major
in the infantry and was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
.
becoming a partner in firm of Molineux McKeag and Cooper, which had offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham. He later became the director of various companies.
, McKeag, who had reputation for being a witty and able debater was the Liberal candidate for Durham but lost to Labour
candidate Joshua Ritson who had held the seat since 1922
. He fought Durham again in 1929
but was again beaten by Ritson. By the time of the 1931 general election
however, the national mood was swinging against Labour. The crisis in the economy over the summer of 1931 which brought about the National Government of prime minister Ramsay MacDonald
meant that McKeag fought the general election in October as a Liberal in support of the National Government, enabling him to take advantage of the public support for the coalition and win the seat by the narrow majority of 270 votes. When the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
withdrew from the coalition in November 1933, McKeag refused to cross the floor into opposition with Samuel. He then associated himself with the Liberal National group in Parliament led by Sir John Simon at least to allow him to be the nominated National candidate at the 1935 general election
, which he fought under the description Liberal National in a straight fight with the former Labour MP Joshua Ritson. Labour were confident of a political revival in 1935, attacking the government on domestic policy and the armaments programme insisting that a vote for the National government meant a vote for war. Durham went solidly Labour with the party winning every seat in the County, including the Seaham
constituency of Ramsay MacDonald.
, Deputy Mayor
and was Mayor of the City twice, in 1951–52 and in 1953–54. In 1966, he was declared an Honorary Freeman
of Newcastle.
McKeag still retained ambitions to return to Parliament as a Liberal but during the Second World War there was a truce between the main political parties which ensured that they did not oppose each other when by-elections occurred. In 1940 however the seat of Newcastle upon Tyne North
became vacant on the retirement of Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle
, the sitting Conservative MP. While the Liberals would not officially oppose the Conservative candidate, Sir Nicholas’ son Second Lieutenant Howard Grattan-Doyle, McKeag was talked of as a possible Independent candidate for the by-election
. However, the seat was successfully contested by an Independent Unionist, Cuthbert Headlam
. In the event, McKeag did not stand, perhaps because like a large number of electors he found it distasteful to fight an election when the British Expeditionary Force
was struggling to get home from the beaches of Dunkirk
, perhaps because he did not wish his political career to interfere with his own war service.
McKeag retained his connection with the Liberal Party, holding the positions of President of Tynemouth Liberal Association and Vice –President of Newcastle Liberal Club and he tried again to get back to Parliament as a Liberal in Newcastle North at the 1945 general election
and in 1950
at Newcastle upon Tyne East
but after this he seems to have become disillusioned with the prospects of the party.
of Newcastle upon Tyne; a Governor of Royal Victoria Infirmary
; a Governor of Newcastle Royal Grammar School; Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Newcastle Corporation; a Member of Tyneside Industrial Development Board; a member of the Committee of the Institute of Directors of Newcastle upon Tyne; a member of the Tyne Improvement Commission, an organisation which held property along the River Tyne
. He also supported many local associations and charities in the North East. He also held the position of Consul
for the Republic of Iceland and was a Commander of the Order of the Falcon
an Icelandic award for Icelanders and foreigners for achievements in Iceland or internationally.
McKeag was also a Director of Newcastle United Football Club for 28 years and was for a time its Chairman. His son Gordon McKeag
was also a Chairman of the Club from 1988–1990.
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...
to National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
, back to Liberal and finally to 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...
but he never wavered from a fierce loyalty to his native North East of England and was described in his obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper as one of the North East’s leading figures, a keen publicist for the area and for Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
in particular.
Family and education
William McKeag was born in County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, the son of William McKeag of Carrville
Carrville
Carrville is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated a short distance to the east of Durham, near to Moor End and Belmont. Carrville is part of the Belmont parish....
near Belmont
Belmont, County Durham
Belmont is a formerly separate village in County Durham, England that is now incorporated into, and a suburb of, Durham City. It was initially a coal mining village and is situated to the north-east of the city centre, just east of the A1 motorway...
. In 1922 he married Marie Elizabeth the daughter of William Corn Crow of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. They had two sons and a daughter. McKeag was educated at Belmont School, at Johnston’s School in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and privately.
War Service
McKeag was 17 years old at the outbreak of the Great War. He joined the army and served six years in France, Italy, Turkey and Russia. He fought with the White RussianWhite movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
commanders Anton Ivanovich Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin was Lieutenant General of the Imperial Russian Army and one of the foremost generals of the White movement in the Russian Civil War.- Childhood :...
and Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel
Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel
Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel or Vrangel was an officer in the Imperial Russian army and later commanding general of the anti-Bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia in the later stages of the Russian Civil War.-Life:Wrangel was born in Mukuliai, Kovno Governorate in the Russian Empire...
and during his time in Russia he became the youngest First-Class Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
in the British Army. During his service he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a silver medal for distinguished service, or for gallantry, principally by non-commissioned officers of all of the British armed forces and of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.-Summary:...
as well as two Russian decorations, the Order of Saint Stanislaus
Order of Saint Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus , also spelled Stanislas, was an Order in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Kingdom of Poland between 1765 and 1831 and of Russian Empire from 1831 to 1917.-History of the Order of Saint Stanislaus:Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland, established the...
and the Order of Saint Anne.
During the Second World War McKeag attained the 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. ...
in the infantry and was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
.
Career
McKeag qualified as a solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
becoming a partner in firm of Molineux McKeag and Cooper, which had offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham. He later became the director of various companies.
Politics, 1924–35
At the 1924 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, McKeag, who had reputation for being a witty and able debater was the Liberal candidate for Durham but lost to 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...
candidate Joshua Ritson who had held the seat since 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...
. He fought Durham again in 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
but was again beaten by Ritson. By the time of the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
however, the national mood was swinging against Labour. The crisis in the economy over the summer of 1931 which brought about the National Government of prime minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
meant that McKeag fought the general election in October as a Liberal in support of the National Government, enabling him to take advantage of the public support for the coalition and win the seat by the narrow majority of 270 votes. When the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Early years:...
withdrew from the coalition in November 1933, McKeag refused to cross the floor into opposition with Samuel. He then associated himself with the Liberal National group in Parliament led by Sir John Simon at least to allow him to be the nominated National candidate at 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...
, which he fought under the description Liberal National in a straight fight with the former Labour MP Joshua Ritson. Labour were confident of a political revival in 1935, attacking the government on domestic policy and the armaments programme insisting that a vote for the National government meant a vote for war. Durham went solidly Labour with the party winning every seat in the County, including the Seaham
Seaham (UK Parliament constituency)
Seaham was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was in existence between 1918 and 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency of Ramsay MacDonald.
Newcastle politics
McKeag resumed political activity at a local level after losing his Parliamentary seat. He resumed his status as a Liberal without prefix or suffix and was elected to Newcastle City Council in 1936. He remained a member of the Council for 25 years, during which time he was raised to the Aldermanic BenchAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, Deputy Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and was Mayor of the City twice, in 1951–52 and in 1953–54. In 1966, he was declared an Honorary Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Newcastle.
McKeag still retained ambitions to return to Parliament as a Liberal but during the Second World War there was a truce between the main political parties which ensured that they did not oppose each other when by-elections occurred. In 1940 however the seat of Newcastle upon Tyne North
Newcastle upon Tyne North (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle upon Tyne North 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:...
became vacant on the retirement of Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle
Nicholas Grattan-Doyle
Sir Nicholas Grattan Grattan-Doyle was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne North at the 1918 general election, and held the seat until his resignation in 1940, aged 78.- External links :...
, the sitting Conservative MP. While the Liberals would not officially oppose the Conservative candidate, Sir Nicholas’ son Second Lieutenant Howard Grattan-Doyle, McKeag was talked of as a possible Independent candidate for the by-election
Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election, 1940
The Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election held on 7 June 1940 for the British House of Commons constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne North.-Previous MP:...
. However, the seat was successfully contested by an Independent Unionist, Cuthbert Headlam
Cuthbert Headlam
Sir Cuthbert Morley Headlam, 1st Baronet, DSO, OBE, TD, DL was a British Conservative politician.Born in Barton upon Irwell, Lancashire, Headlam was educated at King's School, Canterbury and at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a Clerk in the House of Lords 1897-1924 and became a barrister, Inner...
. In the event, McKeag did not stand, perhaps because like a large number of electors he found it distasteful to fight an election when the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
was struggling to get home from the beaches of Dunkirk
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
, perhaps because he did not wish his political career to interfere with his own war service.
McKeag retained his connection with the Liberal Party, holding the positions of President of Tynemouth Liberal Association and Vice –President of Newcastle Liberal Club and he tried again to get back to Parliament as a Liberal in Newcastle North at 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 in 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
at Newcastle upon Tyne East
Newcastle upon Tyne East (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle upon Tyne East is a borough 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....
but after this he seems to have become disillusioned with the prospects of the party.
Changing political allegiances
By the mid-1950s, McKeag’s political label on Newcastle City Council was described as Progressive rather than Liberal and he was some time president of the Progressive Party in Newcastle. It was clear he had moved towards the Conservatives however, perhaps retaining links from his days as a Liberal National because in 1957 McKeag was nominated by the old disaffiliated Newcastle North Conservative Association as a candidate in the by-election caused by the elevation to the peerage of Gwilym Lloyd-George in opposition to the official Conservative. The old association was disaffiliated in 1951 when the new one was formed to accommodate Lloyd-George’s becoming the local MP. Mc Keag agreed to accept the nomination. The official Conservatives adopted a young Morpeth farmer, R W Elliott and Labour chose T L MacDonald a Carlisle printer. In the event the unofficial Conservatives chose not to contest the election which Elliott won comfortably with a majority of more than 6,000 votes.Other public service
McKeag held a long list of public offices as a result of his professional and political associations with Newcastle, County Durham and the North East of England. He was President of the Newcastle upon Tyne Law Students Association, a member of Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society Council, Under SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Newcastle upon Tyne; a Governor of Royal Victoria Infirmary
Royal Victoria Infirmary
Originally founded as the Newcastle Infirmary in 1751, the Royal Victoria Infirmary , in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, was opened on 11 July 1906 by Edward VII on of Town Moor given by the Corporation and Freemen. The fully furnished and equipped hospital, containing twenty wards, a nurses' home,...
; a Governor of Newcastle Royal Grammar School; Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Newcastle Corporation; a Member of Tyneside Industrial Development Board; a member of the Committee of the Institute of Directors of Newcastle upon Tyne; a member of the Tyne Improvement Commission, an organisation which held property along the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. He also supported many local associations and charities in the North East. He also held the position of Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
for the Republic of Iceland and was a Commander of the Order of the Falcon
Order of the Falcon
The Order of the Falcon or Hin íslenska fálkaorða is a national Order of Iceland, established on July 3, 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland.-History and appointments:...
an Icelandic award for Icelanders and foreigners for achievements in Iceland or internationally.
McKeag was also a Director of Newcastle United Football Club for 28 years and was for a time its Chairman. His son Gordon McKeag
Gordon McKeag
Gordon McKeag was an English solicitor and former chairman of Newcastle United.-Biography:McKeag was born in Whickham and attended Durham and Cambridge University. He followed in his father's footsteps to become a solicitor....
was also a Chairman of the Club from 1988–1990.