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Stroud Constituency Labour Party

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The Labour Party has been active in the Stroud Constituency area since at least 1897 and the constituency has been represented in UK Parliament by two Labour MPs,Ben Parkin and David Drew. The Party is currently represented by 15 Councillors on Stroud District Council and 3 on Gloucestershire County Council. Cllr Doina Cornell is the Leader of Stroud District Council. Stroud Constituency Labour Party conducts campaigning across the Constituency much of the work being carried out by local branches.

Independent Labour Party

The first recorded attempt to promote Socialism in Stroud was a visit of 40 trade unionists and ILP members in June 1895, this was chaired by David Fraser the President of the Gloucester ILP.[1] In July 1897 the “Clarion Van” visited Stroud for four days and meetings were addressed by John Bruce Glasier, Councillor Alpass(from Berkeley), Fenton Macpherson [2] and Mary Macpherson. Glasier and the Macpherson's were accommodated by a Mr and Mrs Hunt during their stay in Stroud.[3] A branch of the ILP was formed in the Town in August 1897 [4] A public meeting organised by the Branch was held on Sunday 16 January 1898 addressed by Pete Curran[5] Additional text about the history of ILP in Stroud to be added.

Trades and Labour Council

A Trades and Labour Council started in about 1898 (paragraph to be completed)

The Trades Union Congress continues to support a network of locally organised [Union Councils] and whilst the Stroud Trades Council came to an end in about 1999 there are 21 Trades Councils in the South West with two covering Gloucestershire, [and District Trades Council] and [and District Trades Council].

Trade and Labour Club

By 1908 the Labour Movement had a Club building on Lower Street Stroud (paragraph to be completed)

Far Hill

The official opening of the new Headquarters for the Constituency at Far Hill on Cainscross Road took place on 20 September 1930. The building has previously been the depot of a the depot of the Cotswold Grocery Stores and had been purchased for £1000 with the Club and Institute becoming the headquarters of the Stroud Constituency Labour Party but also the home of trade union branches in the area. Charles Duncan Labour MP for Clay Cross visited the town for the official opening.[6] The building wwas sold to Stroud Urban District Council in the early 1970s and demolished and the site was used for a waste tip and council car park but has subsequently been redeveloped for a DIY store. The Current Labour Party offices are based at 5a Lansdown.

Stroud Constituency Labour Party

Parliamentary Candidates

The first time a Labour Candidate contested an election for the Stroud Constituency was in 1918. Of the 17 individuals who have stood 2 were elected for Stroud with 5 others later being elected for other constituencies.

Stroud 1918-1945

Labour Candidates in Stroud Constituency 1918-1945 [7]
Election Year Candidate Name Votes % ±% Comments
1918 Charles Wye Kendall[8] 8,522 40.1 New Not Elected
1922 Samuel E Walters [9] 5,081 17.6 −22.5 Not Elected
1923 No Candidate
1924 Edith Picton-Turbervill 7,418 25.2 New Not Elected Later MP for Wrekin
1929 F. E. White 10,384 26.1 +0.9 Not Elected
1931[10] John Maynard 10,688 30.0 +3.9 Not Elected
1935 Constance Borrett 14,133 36.8 +8.2 Not Elected
1945 Ben Parkin 22,495 40.8 +4.0 First Labour MP Elected

1950-1951

Labour Candidate Stroud Constituency 1950 and 1951 [11]
Election Year Candidate Name Votes % ±% Comments
1950 Ben Parkin 24,846 Lost seat
1951 Ben Parkin 28,558 48.7 +5.3 Not Elected

1955-2019

Labour Candidates Stroud Constituency 1955 to 2019 [12]
Election Year Candidate Name Votes % ±% Comments
1955 Richard W. Evely 19,375 Not Elected
1959 Alfred Evans 18,336 37.6 -3.5 Not Elected Later MP for Caerphilly
1964 Dennis V. Hunt 18,889 38.2 +0.6 Not Elected
1966 Tom Cox 20,259 40.1 +1.9 Not Elected Later MP for Tooting
1970 R. Derek Wheatley 19,158 36.1 -4 Not Elected
Feb 1974 W.H. Maddocks 17,148 29.2 -6.9 Not Elected
Oct 1974 W.H. Maddocks 17,352 31.1 +1.9 Not Elected
1979 B.J. Marshall 17,037 27.5 -3.6 Not Elected
1983 D.R. Parsons 10.141 16.8 -3.0 Not Elected
1987 Tom Levitt 12,145 18.5 +1.7 Not Elected Later MP for High Peak
1992 David Drew 18,706 26.9 +8.4 Not Elected
1997 David Drew 26,170 42.7 +13.3 Elected
2001 David Drew 25,685 46.6 +3.9 Elected
2005 David Drew 22,527 39.6 -7.0 Elected
2010 David Drew 22,380 38.6 -1.5 Not Elected
2015 David Drew 22,947 37.7 -0.9 Not Elected
2017 David Drew 29,994 47 +9.3 Elected
2019 David Drew 27,742 42.1 -4.9 Not Elected

Prominent Activists

Prominent Activists
Name Area Associated with Year born Year Died Years Active Obituary and Comments
Frederick William Harper Rodborough 1868 1961 1907-1961 Birmingham Daily Post 11 May 1961 P18 Rodborough Parish from 1907 Stroud RDC from 1917, originally a Liberal. Said to be one of the Labour Party founders more than 50 years ago "remaining a leader for many years". [13]
Pat Parker Cainscross
WAlter K Preston 1915 NK 1948 1993 No Obit found Walter was a leading member of Stroud UDC from 1940's and joined SDC when it formed in 1973 and retired in 1983. Walter Preston Court, Cashes Green was named in his honour, whilst he was still living. He was also Constituency Chair for some time [14]
1915

References

  1. ^ Clarion 06 July 1895 p 6 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/ViewArticle?id=BL%2F0002732%2F18950706%2F08
  2. ^ Mary Macpherson
  3. ^ This is likely to be Stephen Ernest Hunt who lived on Bath Road Rodborough Clarion 17 July 1897 p 6,7,8 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002732%2f18970717
  4. ^ Labour Leader 28 August 1897 p8 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002734%2f18970828%2f110
  5. ^ Pete Curran at Stroud, Stroud News and Gloucestershire Advertiser 21 January 1898 P 3, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002216%2f18980121%2f053
  6. ^ Cheltenham Chronicle, 27 September 1930, p6, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000518%2f19300927%2f07
  7. ^ Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
  8. ^ working note - Stood for Election in Eye Suffolk in 1924 Eye (UK Parliament constituency)
  9. ^ working note Alderman in Swindon and also stood in Bristol Central in 1923 Bristol Central (UK Parliament constituency)
  10. ^ Byelection caused by Retirement of Frank Nelson (Con) 1931 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931_Stroud_by-election
  11. ^ Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
  12. ^ Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
  13. ^ (Paywall)https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002134%2f19610511%2f483
  14. ^ 1939 National Register for Birth Date, RG101/5079F/011/44, https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=TNA%2FR39%2F5079%2F5079F%2F011%2F44; Stroud Election Results 1948 Gloucester Citizen 06 April 1948 p4; Retirement from SDC in 1983 inferred from British Local Elections Database https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stroud-1973-2012.pdf
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