Stanley Norman Evans (1 February 1898 – 25 June 1970) was a British industrialist and Labour Party politician. He served very briefly as an Agriculture Minister in the post-war

Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 t ...

government but was forced to resign when he claimed that farmers were being " featherbedded". During the

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...

, Evans broke from the party line and supported the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

government's policy, which led his local association successfully to press him to resign from Parliament.

Wartime service

Evans was a native of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

where he went to Harborne Elementary School."Mr Stanley Evans" (Obituary), ''The Times'', 26 June 1970, p. 10. His first job after leaving school was in a chartered accountants firm,"The Times House of Commons 1950", p. 155. but in 1915 he left to enlist in the Northumberland Hussars. He served in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, and was discharged in 1919.M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981), p. 112.

Industry

Returning to the West Midlands, Evans established Stanley N. Evans (Birmingham) Ltd, who supplied

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class ...

for moulds used in the many cast metal

foundries A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

in the

Black Country The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its ...

. Evans was also involved in the publishing industry, being Chairman of Town Crier Publishing Society Ltd. During the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, Evans was a road transport organiser employed by the Ministry of War Transport."The Times House of Commons 1945", p. 69.

Election to Parliament

Evans was chosen as Labour Party candidate for

Wednesbury Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of 3 ...

to follow

John Banfield John William Banfield (29 August 1875 – 25 May 1945) was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician, who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wednesbury from 1932 until his death in 1945. Early life Banfield was born in Burton- ...

, who died at the end of May 1945 while still in post. At the 1945 general election he had no difficulty in being elected, winning a majority of 15,935. In his

maiden speech A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament. Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country. In many Westminster system governments, there is a convention th ...

on 22 August 1945, Evans spoke in a debate on the ratification of the

United Nations Charter The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundational treaty of the UN, an intergovernmental organization. It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the United Nations System, UN system, including its Organ ...

. He concentrated on the post-war reconstruction and opposed attempts to indict 70,000,000 Germans for the misdeeds of a few."Parliament", ''The Times'', 23 August 1945, p. 8. In October he criticised the restrictive practices of trade associations in several fields of industry, and urged an investigation into their activities."Parliament", ''The Times'', 26 October 1945, p. 8. His speech drew a protest from

Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at ...

Ltd, whom he had singled out."Combine Prices", ''The Times'', 1 November 1945, p. 5. Evans opposed the

Anglo-American loan The Anglo-American Loan Agreement was a loan made to the United Kingdom by the United States on 15 July 1946, enabling its economy after the Second World War to keep afloat. The loan was negotiated by British economist John Maynard Keynes and Am ...

and the

Bretton Woods Bretton Woods can refer to: *Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, a village in the United States **Bretton Woods Mountain Resort, a ski resort located in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire *The 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, also known as the "United Nations Mo ...

agreement. Philip Norton, "Dissension in the House of Commons 1945-74" (Macmillan, 1975), pp. 3, 5.

Steel nationalisation

Evans was a supporter of economic planning who was very conscious of his origins in the industrial midlands of England; in a debate in February 1946 he declared to laughter and cheers that "the

elbow grease Elbow grease or elbow oil in French is an idiom for manual labour and the process of working hard to accomplish an objective. It is a figure of speech for indicating that nothing other than one's own labour is required for a task, capable of bein ...

would be forthcoming from those who had always saved Britain – the common people, the best bred

mongrels A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed and including those that are the result of intentional breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometimes preferred, many mongrel ...

in the world"."Parliament", ''The Times'', 1 March 1946, p. 8. He distrusted the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

for its "constant stream of vilification, invective and abuse" directed at the British people,"Parliament", ''The Times'', 24 October 1946, p. 8. and in June 1947 made an outspoken attack on Soviet domination of Europe led by the "hermits of the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...

"."'A Great Opportunity For Europe'", ''The Times'', 20 June 1947, p. 8. In a free vote on

abolition of the death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...

, Evans spoke loudly in support of retaining capital punishment on the grounds that public opinion was not supportive, and reported that the people to whom he spoke were concerned that too many condemned prisoners were being reprieved."Suspension Of Death Penalty", ''The Times'', 15 April 1948, p. 4. He was also a supporter of the Government's plan to nationalise the steel industry, which was the most controversial of all its nationalisation proposals."Aims Of Iron And Steel Bill", ''The Times'', 16 November 1948, p. 4. Because of his experience in the industry, Evans was placed on the Standing Committee examining the Bill.

Ministry of Food

Evans was re-elected for Wednesbury at the 1950 general election, his majority almost unchanged on that of 1945 despite a three-way fight. In the government reshuffle that followed, he was appointed

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food Control, later the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food was a junior Ministerial post in the Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1921 and then from 1939 to 1954. The post supp ...

. At his first press conference on 17 March, a fortnight into his job, Evans warned that Britain "must be careful not to cosset any section of the population at the expense of the community as a whole". He said the Ministry should consider themselves the representatives of housewives; later Evans had to stress that these were his personal views."Food Supplies Easier", ''The Times'', 18 March 1950, p. 6. He had a tough debut on the front bench of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

on 3 April 1950 when he made a statement about

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

negotiations. Many Members of Parliament thought that the West Indies had been treated discourteously and the

Leader of the House of Commons The leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons. The leader is generally a member or attendee of the cabinet of t ...

Herbert Morrison Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth, (3 January 1888 – 6 March 1965) was a British politician who held a variety of senior positions in the UK Cabinet as member of the Labour Party. During the inter-war period, he was Minis ...

had to come to the aid of the junior Food Minister."Agreements On Empire Sugar", ''The Times'', 4 April 1950, p. 4.

Controversy

The controversy caused by his initial press conference had continued. The National Farmers Union had protested and the Minister ( Maurice Webb) had to give an assurance to them that the Ministry would fail if it did not assist food producers. However, Evans was to cause further problems at a press conference in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

on 14 April. He asserted that farmers were provided with guaranteed prices and assured markets at taxpayers' expense, and asked how long it could continue. Evans then went on to claim that subsidies concealed inefficiency and inertia, and commented that "no other nation feather-beds its agriculture like Britain"."Junior Minister Dropped", ''The Times'', 17 April 1950, p. 4.

Dismissal

The National Farmers Unions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland immediately responded in a joint statement expressing their amazement and giving detailed figures to refute his argument. At this

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...

asked for Evans' resignation, dismissing him from office after only six weeks. Evans stuck by his opinions even though "the National Farmers' Unions have my scalp under their belt". He later denied as "fantastic" rumours that he intended to resign his Parliamentary seat."Mr. Evans and his Resignation", ''The Times'', 18 April 1950, p. 4. On 16 May Evans used a debate on the

Finance Bill A government budget is a document prepared by the government and/or other political entity presenting its anticipated tax revenues (Inheritance tax, income tax, corporation tax, import taxes) and proposed spending/expenditure (Healthcare, Educa ...

to set out a full defence of his charges against agriculture."Parliament", ''The Times'', 17 May 1950, p. 4.

Parliamentary activity

Evans opposed the opening of

Battersea Park Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea and was opened in 1858. The park occupies marshland recla ...

funfair on Sundays, saying it would cause dismay to millions of people."Parliament", ''The Times'', 29 November 1950, p. 7. Despite his sacking he paid tribute to Attlee for his statesmanlike diplomacy with the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

over the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

."Parliament", ''The Times'', 15 December 1950, p. 8. He was a frequent member of Parliamentary delegations to other countries, including that to

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

in 1946. In 1951 he led a delegation to

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

and

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing colony, self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The reg ...

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

and

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. He was also a member of a delegation to the

in 1954. In 1953 Evans annoyed his own side by speaking against a Labour amendment on the issue of the

Central African Federation Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

. He agreed with the Conservative government that federation would lead to economic development and would make Central Africa the

Ruhr Valley The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

of Africa."Parliament", ''The Times'', 25 March 1953, p. 3. He was a cautious supporter of German rearmament, because it would assist in the defence against Soviet expansionism."Parliament", ''The Times'', 25 February 1954, p. 3.

Attitude toward America

The summer of 1956 saw Evans involved in two controversies, first over the sale of the Trinidad Oil Company to the

Texas Oil Company Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company until ...

,"Changing Views On Oil Deal", ''The Times'', 14 June 1956, p. 7. and second over his allegation that the United States was discriminating against British shipping."Discrimination At Sea" (letter), ''The Times'', 10 July 1956, p. 11. When speaking at the outbreak of the

, Evans was critical of the lack of American support for what he described as the British crusade against totalitarianism."Parliament", ''The Times'', 3 August 1956, p. 6.

Suez

As the situation became more grave, Evans pressed Prime Minister

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

to withhold military action until Parliament had debated it."Parliament", ''The Times'', 31 October 1956, p. 4. When Eden called a

vote of confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or m ...

on 1 November 1956, Evans abstained from voting rather than vote with his party against the Government; he was the only Labour Member of Parliament to break the

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

but was not disciplined for his failure to vote."Prime Minister To Broadcast", ''The Times'', 3 November 1956, p. 6.

Constituency discontent

However, Evans' tacit support for the invasion of Suez caused unrest in his constituency. After several local organisations sent in resolutions strongly condemning his action, the Wednesbury divisional Labour Party called a meeting to discuss his future on 17 November. Evans spoke in defence of his position, but the meeting unanimously passed a resolution calling on Evans to resign his seat. A few days later, Evans complied, also resigning from membership of the Labour Party. He declared that when military action had begun, it was "against the best interests of the British people to divide the House of Commons while fighting was still in progress"."Mr. S. Evans, M.P., Resigns", ''The Times'', 21 November 1956, p. 6. Although supporters of Evans raised a petition asking him to stand for re-election as an

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

candidate,"Mr. Evans urged to stand again", ''The Times'', 23 November 1956, p. 6. Evans rejected the idea of standing again under any banner. He declared that he was not a turncoat and would do nothing to embarrass his friends in the Parliamentary Labour Party."Mr. Evans Keeps To Decision", ''The Times'', 27 November 1956, p. 5.

Death

Having held to his decision, Evans died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 1970 aged 72.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Stanley 1898 births 1970 deaths Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People from Birmingham, West Midlands UK MPs 1945–1950 UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 Ministers in the Attlee governments, 1945–1951