Archibald George Gossling (1878 – 19 May 1950) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

ist and

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

politician. Gossling was a

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...

by trade, and became a member of the executive of the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives and the

Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers The Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) was a British trade union representing carpenters, joiners and allied trades. The ASW was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of two smaller unions. It was itself merged into the Union of Constructi ...

. In 1924 he was chosen to contest the parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Yardley for the Labour Party. He failed to unseat the sitting

Coalition Conservative The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory ...

MP,

Alfred Jephcott Alfred Roger Jephcott JP (14 February 1853 – 14 March 1932) was a British engineer, trade unionist and Conservative Party politician from Birmingham. He sat in the House of Commons from 1918 to 1929. Early life and family Jephcott was born ...

, who retained the seat with a majority of nearly 2,000 votes. At the next general election, five years later, Gossling was again chosen as Labour candidate. This time he faced two opponents,

Edward Salt Sir Edward William Salt (18 May 1881 – 8 September 1970) was a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham Yardley constituency from 1931 to 1945. He was the son of Ashton Trow Salt, a surgical instrument maker in Aston, and his ...

of the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and C A Beaumont of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. Gossling benefited from a large rise in support for Labour and the presence of the third candidate. He was elected to the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

with a majority of 4,366 votes over Salt, while Beaumont secured 5,500 votes. Two years later another election was held. This followed the collapse of the Labour administration and the formation of a National Government, and Labour's vote dropped sharply. Gossling's Conservative opponent was again Edward Salt, the only other candidate being E J Bartlett of the New Party. Gossling was heavily defeated, with Salt winning the seat for the government by a majority of more than 15,000 votes.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gossling, Archibald 1878 births 1950 deaths Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers-sponsored MPs British trade unionists UK MPs 1929–1931 Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies