Francis Alfred Broad JP (1874 – 3 January 1956) was a Labour politician in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
who served as
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 ...
(MP) for the
Municipal Borough of Edmonton
Edmonton was a local government district in north-east Middlesex, England, from 1850 to 1965.
History
Edmonton local board was formed in 1850 for the parish of Edmonton All Saints. In 1881 Southgate was separated from the Edmonton local board's ...
during the years 1922–1931 and 1935–1945.
One of the founder members of the Amalgamated Instrument Makers Trade Society, Broad was president when, in 1920, the union joined the
Amalgamated Engineering Union
The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992.
History
...
(AEU). He remained a member of the AEU until his death, stating in
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 c ...
in 1931 that "... I have never been a paid officer of that union but I have 40 years membership in it". He joined the
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse working-class candidates ...
in 1893.
In July 1923, on the subject of birth control, Broad "... asked the Minister of Health whether his Department will raise any objection to birth control information being given at infant welfare centres to married women who desire it by voluntary workers attached to the centres, or otherwise to their being informed, on request, where such information can be obtained?". Mr Chamberlain replied that his "... view is that such information as is referred to should not be given at infant welfare centres, but that women for whom it appears to be needed on medical grounds should be referred to a private doctor or a hospital". In May 1924, Broad led a delegation of the birth control movement to the then health minister,
Clydesdale Clydesdale is an archaic name for Lanarkshire, a traditional county in Scotland. The name may also refer to:
Sports
* Clydesdale F.C., a former football club in Glasgow
* Clydesdale RFC, Glasgow, a former rugby union club
* Clydesdale RFC, South ...
MP
John Wheatley
John Wheatley (19 May 1869 – 12 May 1930) was a Scottish socialist politician. He was a prominent figure of the Red Clydeside era.
Early life and career
Wheatley was born to Thomas and Johanna Wheatley in Bonmahon, County Waterford, Ire ...
(Dora) Russell, Dr Frances Huxley, and others. Wheatley dodged the issue with the pronouncement "A clear distinction must be drawn between allowing access to knowledge, and actually distributing knowledge".
Broad produced two papers. A memorandum on birth control: presented on 9 May 1924 to the Workers Birth Control Group, and The organised worker: problems of
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 ( ...
structure and policy; a report by the Industrial Policy Committee published by the Independent Labour Party (Great Britain). Broad was part of the
Empire Parliamentary Association
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.
In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of ...
1926 delegation to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
chaired by the
Marquis of Salisbury
Marquess of Salisbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for the 7th Earl of Salisbury. Most of the holders of the title have been prominent in British political life over the last two centuries, particularly th ...
. At the civic reception in the
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
Millions Club on the day of arrival, 17 September 1926, Broad said "A country like Australia is capable of absorbing a great number of people and the problem must be precipitated in a proper spirit of understanding".
He was made a justice of the peace in 1933. Broad announced in 1944 that he did not intend to stand as a parliamentary candidate again, saying, "The world is rather cluttered up with older men". He retired from politics in 1945. He was awarded the freedom of Edmonton in September 1946.
He was for a time a governor of
The Latymer School
The Latymer School is a selective, Coeducation, mixed grammar school in Edmonton, London, Edmonton, London, England, established in 1624 by Edward Latymer. According to league tables, Latymer is one of the top state-schools in the country.
Histo ...
and a board member of the
North Middlesex Hospital
North Middlesex University Hospital, known locally as North Mid, is a district general hospital in Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield. The hospital is managed by North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
History
The hospital was e ...
in Edmonton; the same hospital where he died from a short illness on 3 January 1956. Broad House, Fore Street, Edmonton, London, is a permanent memorial. It was opened in 1954 by
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...
. Broad was survived by his wife since 1900,FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Eliza Broad née Macer and three sons.