Percy Ellis Wright (1 November 1892 – 30 September 1980) was a

democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within ...

politician. He was a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and served over 13 years as a

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 o ...

(MP) in the House of Commons of Canada. He served on the CCF's national council and executive, and was elected as the CCF's National Chairman in 1950. After he was defeated as an MP, he returned to his occupation as a farmer until his death in 1980. Wright was born in Beachburg, Ontario, and attended

Jarvis Collegiate Institute Jarvis Collegiate Institute is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Jarvis Street where it is located. It is a part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Prior to 1998, it was within the Toronto Board of Educati ...

in Toronto. He served in the Canadian Field Artillery 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 ...

and became a lieutenant. His career was in farming. He was first elected to Parliament from the Melfort electoral district in the 1940 federal election. He was re-elected in

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which Nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been used in combat. Events Below, ...

and 1949. When the Melfort electoral district was abolished, in the 1952 federal riding redistribution, Wright sought re-election in Melville, which contained roughly half of his old riding. It was also the electoral district of incumbent federal Minister of Agriculture

James Garfield Gardiner James Garfield Gardiner (30 November 1883 – 12 January 1962) was a Canadian farmer, educator, and politician. He served as the fourth premier of Saskatchewan, and as a minister in the Canadian Cabinet. Political career Gardiner was first elec ...

of the

Liberal party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. In the 1953 Federal Election Wright was defeated by Gardiner, ending his federal political career. When F. R. Scott retired as the national chairman, just before the CCF's biennial convention in Vancouver in July 1950, there was a rift between the farmer and labour wings. Wright represented the farmer-wing, while Vancouver's Angus MacInnis, the son-in-law of former party founding leader J.S. Woodsworth, represented the labour-wing. Wright defeated MacInnis in the election to be the CCF's National Chairman. He was elected again in 1952. At the 1954 convention Wright retired as national chairman, and David Lewis was elected to replace him. He died in 1980.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Percy Ellis 1892 births 1980 deaths Canadian farmers Canadian military personnel of World War I Co-operative Commonwealth Federation MPs 20th-century Canadian politicians Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Saskatchewan People from Renfrew County