James Henry Hollins (1877 – 22 September 1954) was a British trade unionist and politician.
Hollins, a supporter of the
Social Democratic Federation
The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury, James Con ...
, was branch secretary in Silvertown of the National Union of Gasworkers & General Labourers around 1914 and appears to have been an energetic organiser.
In the 1930s, Hollins was an alderman in West Ham and in 1930 he was Mayor. In April 1931 Alderman Hollins was appointed a member of the committee appointed to consider preparations for the prevention of damage by floods in the Thames tidal area.
Hollins came to prominence in 1940 when he was selected as Labour candidate to fill the seat of
Silvertown
Silvertown is a district in the London Borough of Newham, in east London, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, Thames and was historically part of the parishes of West Ham and East Ham, Becontree Hundred, hundred of Becontr ...
on the resignation of the sitting MP,
Jack Jones Jack Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
*Jack Jones (American singer) (born 1938), American jazz and pop singer
*Jack Jones, stage name of Australian singer Irwin Thomas (born 1971)
*Jack Jones (Welsh musician) (born 1992), Welsh mu ...
, who had held the seat since 1918. Hollins was a friend of Jones and had been his election agent. At this stage he had been a councillor for 26 years and an election agent for 20.
[Kevin Morgan, ''Against Fascism and War: Ruptures and Continuities in British Communist Politics, 1935-4'' (Manchester University Press, 1989) page 159.] With the Second World War under way, Labour's candidature was not opposed by the other coalition parties. This was in any case a Labour safe seat. The only opposition came from the Communist Party, who put forward their leader,
Harry Pollitt, and the British Union (formerly the
British Union of Fascists
The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, fo ...
). Hollins triumphed, winning over 14,000 votes and a majority of 13,377. Both of the other candidates polled so badly that they lost their deposits.
Hollins remained as MP for Silvertown until the next general election, in 1945, which he did not contest.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, James Henry
1877 births
1954 deaths
British trade unionists
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Social Democratic Federation members
UK MPs 1935–1945