John "Jock" Skinner Stewart (23 April 1902 – 5 February 1973) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life and career

Stewart was born in

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

, Scotland and served in the British Army during

World War I 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 ...

. He then emigrated to New Zealand when he was 24. He later gained employment with the Auckland Transport Board as a clerk. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he joined the military and was given a staff job as his medical grading prevented him from going abroad. At the end of 1942 he was released from service.

Political career

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

he was elected to the

Auckland City Council Auckland City Council was the local government authority for Auckland City, New Zealand, from 1871 to 1 November 2010, when it and Auckland's six other city and district councils were amalgamated to form the Auckland Council. It was an elected b ...

on a Labour Party ticket where he was chairman of the Library Committee. In both 1933 and 1938 Stewart was defeated standing for the City Council. He was also a member of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board. In both the

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

and

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

local elections as well as a 1957 by-election he was the Labour Party's candidate for the Auckland mayoralty, placing second, third and second respectively. He initially intended to stand a mayoral candidate in

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

as well. He was selected as Labour's nominee but later withdrew his candidacy. Stewart was present as a delegate at the 1940 Labour Party Annual Conference. Whilst in attendance Stewart seconded MP

Bill Schramm Frederick William Schramm (28 March 1886 – 28 October 1962) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was the eleventh Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1944 to 1946. Biography Early life Schramm was born in Hokitika ...

's successful motion to expel

John A. Lee John Alfred Alexander Lee (31 October 1891 – 13 June 1982) was a New Zealand politician and writer. He is one of the more prominent avowed socialism in New Zealand, socialists in New Zealand's political history. Lee was elected as a me ...

from the party. Later that year he stood for the Labour nomination at the Auckland West by-election following the death of Prime Minister

Michael Joseph Savage Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940. Savage was born in the Colony ...

, but lost to Peter Carr. Stewart then became chair of the Tamaki electorate committee and later Vice-President of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee.

Member of Parliament

Stewart was selected as the official Labour candidate for in the scheduled 1941 general election. He later contested the electorate in the , but lost to

Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, in ...

. He then contested in unsuccessfully. He then represented the electorate in Auckland from to 1954 following the retirement of

Bill Parry William or Bill Parry may refer to: Sports *William Parry Crake (1852–1921), or William Parry, Wanderers footballer *Bill Parry (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1923), Welsh international footballer *Bill Parry (footballer, born 1914) (1914–196 ...

. In parliament Stewart became an agitator against the leadership of

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

and successfully moved the motion in caucus to have a

leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a l ...

in mid-1954. Despite Stewart's efforts to replace Nash with

Arnold Nordmeyer Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer (born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, 7 February 1901 – 2 February 1989) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Finance (1957–1960) and later as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition ...

Nash was re-elected. The Arch Hill electorate was then absorbed into neighbouring electorates, and he was defeated in , standing for Eden. Stewart was first on election night, with a provisional lead of 172, but after the 1,300 postal votes were counted he lost by a mere 8 votes to National's

Duncan Rae Duncan McFadyen Rae (2 June 1888 – 3 February 1964) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography Rae was born in Mataura in 1888. He received his education at Knox College and at Otago University, where he gained an ...

. At the 1956 Labour Party annual conference he challenged

Mick Moohan Michael Moohan (27 April 1899 – 7 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Seldom known to anyone by anything other than "Mick", he was a major organizational figure in the Labour Party's early history and went on to b ...

for the party presidency, but was defeated in the delegate ballot. At the 1957 conference he again challenged Moohan, but was again unsuccessful.

Later life and death

After leaving parliament he returned to work as a clerk at the Auckland City Council until he retired in 1966. He died on 5 February 1973. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, John 1902 births 1973 deaths New Zealand Labour Party MPs Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Auckland City Councillors People from Greenock British emigrants to New Zealand British Army personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel of World War II 20th-century New Zealand politicians Candidates in the 1941 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1943 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1946 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1954 New Zealand general election