Arthur Cecil Allen (10 January 1887 – 8 October 1981) was a British
footwear
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...
manufacturer,
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 ( ...
officer and
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
. He served as an Opposition
Whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
, but his most important position was as
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...
to
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell (9 April 1906 – 18 January 1963) was a British politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955 until his death in 1963. An economics lecturer and wartime civil servant, h ...
during the first few years as
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
.
Origins
Allen was born in
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
,
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, and lived in the town of
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town and civil parish in the Nene Valley in North Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated populati ...
.
["Who Was Who", A & C Black.] He attended only an elementary school before going into the local footwear industry. In 1952 he said he had begun in the boot and shoe industry at the age of 13, working 54½ hours a week, earning
half a crown a week.
[See ]Hansard
''Hansard'' is the traditional name of the transcripts of parliamentary debates in Britain and many Commonwealth countries. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), a London printer and publisher, who was the first official print ...
, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 500, col. 1141.
In 1914 Allen married Polly Mary Bradshaw; they had a son and a daughter. He served in the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
throughout the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, being part of the expeditionary force sent to
Salonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
in 1915
[M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1982), p. 5.] and later serving in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
["The Times House of Commons 1951", p. 143.]
Trade unionism
Returning to Northamptonshire, Allen resumed his previous occupation and became active in the
National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives
The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1873 and 1971. It represented workers in the footwear industry.
History
The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and ...
which he had joined in 1908.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 7 February 1958, p. 4.] Under the sponsorship of the union he obtained a
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre
A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national tra ...
sponsorship to study at
Ruskin College, Oxford
Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is not a college of Oxford University. It is named after the essayist, art and social critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) an ...
, where he obtained a diploma in economics and political science.
["The Times House of Commons, 1950", p. 197.] He was elected to the Union's Executive in 1933,
and was also active in local politics for the
Labour Party as chairman of
Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough () is a town on the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England. It had a population of 8,900 at the 2011 census and was the smallest town in England to have had a Football League team, Rushden & Diamonds F.C., prior to the ...
Urban District Council
In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...
and a member of
Northamptonshire County Council
Northamptonshire County Council was the county council that governed the non-metropolitan county of Northamptonshire in England. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888, recreated in 1974 by the Local Government Act 19 ...
.
In 1937 Allen was elected a County
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
of Northamptonshire.
Election to Parliament
Allen was adopted in April 1945 as the Labour Party candidate for the
Bosworth division,
["Motherwell Election", ''The Times'', 4 April 1945, p. 2.] which was held by the
Liberal Nationals with a 7,000 majority although the sitting member did not seek re-election. In the ensuing
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
, he won the seat with a majority of 5,297 in line with national trends.
["The Times House of Commons 1945", p. 88.]
Foreign tours
He was happier being active behind the scenes in Parliament than he was taking a front rank position, and was a member of several important delegations to foreign countries. In 1946 he visited occupied
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and made his
maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.
Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country. In many Westminster system governments, there is a convention th ...
when he reported back to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
that the British administration was working well but that more coal and food were needed otherwise the German population would grow unwilling to cooperate.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 30 July 1946, p. 8.] He was part of an unofficial mission of eight Labour MPs who visited
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
,
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1947.
["Labour M.P.s Tour of Europe", ''The Times'', 25 September 1947, p. 2.] In Russia he was able to have an interview with
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
.
Economic policy
In matters of economics, Allen strongly supported the unity of the Labour Party with the Trade Unions, speaking in 1948 of how it was essential for
full employment
Full employment is a situation in which there is no cyclical or unemployment#Cyclical unemployment, deficient-demand unemployment. Full employment does not entail the disappearance of all unemployment, as other kinds of unemployment, namely Structu ...
; he also called for restraint "for the nation's sake" on the part of some politicians and journalists.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 3 November 1948; p. 2.] However, he spoke at the annual conference of his union in May 1947 in opposition to a motion calling for Conservatives to be expelled in the same way as Communists, arguing that "it was just as well to be fair" and that Conservatives did not ban other parties from operating as Communists did.
["Politics In Trade Unions", ''The Times'', 7 May 1947, p. 2.]
Relationship to Cripps
Allen was seriously injured in a car accident at Irthlingborough on 7 January 1948 and had to have an operation.
["Invalids", ''The Times'', 9 January 1948, p. 4.] He had recovered in time for the
1950 general election in which his Conservative opponent Major Anthony Cripps was the nephew of Labour
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
Sir
Stafford Cripps
Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (24 April 1889 – 21 April 1952) was a British Labour Party politician, barrister, and diplomat.
A wealthy lawyer by background, he first entered Parliament at a by-election in 1931, and was one of a handful of La ...
; Allen retained his seat with an improved majority after the intervention of a Liberal candidate.
In the new Parliament, Sir Stafford Cripps appointed Allen to be his
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...
.
["Ministers' Secretaries", ''The Times'', 1 April 1950, p. 3.]
In June 1950, Allen helped to defend Cripps against a Conservative motion which called for the United Kingdom to participate in negotiations on the "
Schuman Plan
The Schuman Declaration, or Schuman Plan, was a proposal to place French and West German production of coal and steel under a single authority that later became the European Coal and Steel Community, made by the French foreign minister, Robert ...
" to organise European coal and steel production. He sponsored an amendment which refused to enter undefined commitments and stressed the importance of the Commonwealth.
["Government's Amendment For Schuman Plan Debate", ''The Times'', 23 June 1950, p. 6.] After Cripps' sudden resignation, his successor as Chancellor
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell (9 April 1906 – 18 January 1963) was a British politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955 until his death in 1963. An economics lecturer and wartime civil servant, h ...
kept Allen on as his Parliamentary Private Secretary; Allen had also worked for Gaitskell in Gaitskell's previous position as Minister of State for Economic Affairs.
Opposition Whip
Allen was again re-elected in the
1951 general election, with a majority of 7,645 in a straight fight with the Conservative Party candidate.
He was appointed an Opposition Whip in the new session.
["Labour Party Whips", ''The Times'', 7 November 1951, p. 4.] His new role restricted his ability to speak in the House of Commons, but Allen kept up his activity. He was appointed as a substitute member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
in 1952.
["Delegation to Strasbourg", ''The Times'', 11 August 1952, p. 3.]
Relationship with Gaitskell
When Hugh Gaitskell was elected as Leader of the Labour Party, he took Allen out of the Opposition Whips' office to serve as his Parliamentary Private Secretary once again.
Allen, who was a party loyalist who never broke the Labour Party whip,
[ Philip Norton, "Dissension in the House of Commons 1945-1974" (Macmillan, 1975) shows no dissenting votes.] maintained relationships between Gaitskell and Labour Party backbenchers. A speech by Allen was a rarity, and when speaking from the benefit of experience in February 1958 in favour of a statutory wages policy in order not to let too much money loose in the economy, it was the first speech he had made for six years. Allen believed that stable money was needed in order to get full employment.
In 1958 he was a member of a Private Bill Committee on two Bills dealing with private Water companies which sat for the longest time in sixty years.
["Water Bills Set Up A Record For Evidence And Argument", ''The Times'', 6 February 1959, p. 6.]
Retirement
In March 1959 Allen announced that he would not seek re-election.
["M.P. Not to Seek Re-election", ''The Times'', 24 March 1959, p. 16.] His successor was
Woodrow Wyatt
Woodrow may refer to:
People
*Woodrow (name), a given name and a surname
Places Canada
*Woodrow, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community
United Kingdom
*Woodrow, Buckinghamshire, England
*Woodrow, Cumbria, England United States
*Woodrow, Color ...
, adopted unanimously on 31 May.
["Labour's Choice At Bosworth", ''The Times'', 1 June 1959, p. 5.] He died in
Kettering
Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of Ket ...
aged 94.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Arthur
1887 births
1981 deaths
Alumni of Ruskin College
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives-sponsored MPs
Members of Northamptonshire County Council
People from Wellingborough
Shoemakers
UK MPs 1945–1950
UK MPs 1950–1951
UK MPs 1951–1955
UK MPs 1955–1959
British Army soldiers
Military personnel from Northamptonshire
British Army personnel of World War I