George S. Yates was a British

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Biography

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

draughtsperson A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...

, Yates became an active

trade unionist 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 ( ...

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, and joined 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, Jame ...

(SDF). By 1898, he was identified as a member of the left wing of the party, and began lecturing alongside

James Connolly James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the ...

. In 1900, he was a delegate to the Congress of the

Second International The Second International (1889–1916) was an organisation of Labour movement, socialist and labour parties, formed on 14 July 1889 at two simultaneous Paris meetings in which delegations from twenty countries participated. The Second Internatio ...

, where he was the only British delegate to vote against a motion supporting

Alexandre Millerand Alexandre Millerand (; – ) was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 20 January to 23 September 1920 and President of France from 23 September 1920 to 11 June 1924. His participation in Waldeck-Rousseau's cabinet at the s ...

's decision to join the French government. Becoming a convinced supporter of

industrial unionism Industrial unionism is a trade union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in ...

, Yates argued alongside Connolly for the SDF adopting the policies of

Daniel De Leon Daniel De Leon (; December 14, 1852 – May 11, 1914), alternatively spelt Daniel de León, was a Curaçaoan-American socialist newspaper editor, politician, Marxist theoretician (Marxism), theoretician, and trade union organizer. He is regar ...

. He supported the SDF's withdrawal from the Labour Representation Committee in 1901. In 1903, he wrote an article in Connolly's paper, '' The Socialist'' entitled "The Official SDF", which was critical of the organisation's Executive. He was promptly expelled. This was the trigger which provoked the a group of impossibilist SDF members, mostly in Scotland, to form the Socialist Labour Party, within which Yates became a leading figure and editor of ''The Socialist''. In September 1904, Yates resigned his position, claiming that he was unable to edit the paper while holding down a full-time job.

Raymond Challinor Raymond Corrick "Ray" Challinor (9 July 1929 – 30 January 2011) was a Marxist historian of the British labour movement. Early life and education Challinor was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Both of his parents were political activist ...

, ''The Origins of British Bolshevism''

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yates, George Year of birth missing Year of death missing Scottish socialists Social Democratic Federation members Socialist Labour Party (UK, 1903) members British political party founders