Archibald George Gossling (1878 – 19 May 1950) was a British

trade union 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 (s ...

ist and Labour politician. Gossling was a

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by Woodworking joints, joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a Carpentry, carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ...

by trade, and became a member of the executive of the

National Federation of Building Trades Operatives The National Federation of Building Trades Operatives (NFBTO) was a trade union federation in the United Kingdom, consisting of unions with members in construction and related industries. History In 1914, a group of workers attempted to form the Bu ...

and the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers. In

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China h ...

he was chosen to contest the parliamentary constituency of

Birmingham Yardley Birmingham Yardley is a constituency of part of the city of Birmingham represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Jess Phillips of the Labour Party. Yardley Rural District was annexed to Birmingham under the 1911 ...

for the Labour Party. He failed to unseat the sitting

Coalition Conservative The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of vict ...

MP,

Alfred Jephcott Alfred Roger Jephcott JP (14 February 1853 – 14 March 1932) was a British engineer, trade unionist and Conservative Party politician from Birmingham. He sat in the House of Commons from 1918 to 1929. Early life and family Jephcott was born ...

, who retained the seat with a majority of nearly 2,000 votes. At the

next general election This is a list of the next general elections around the world in democratic polities. The general elections listed are for the government of each jurisdiction. These elections determine the Prime Minister and makeup of the legislature in a parli ...

, five years later, Gossling was again chosen as Labour candidate. This time he faced two opponents,

Edward Salt Sir Edward William Salt (18 May 1881 – 8 September 1970) was a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham Yardley constituency from 1931 to 1945. He was the son of Ashton Trow Salt, a surgical instrument maker in Aston, and his ...

of the

Conservatives 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 i ...

and C A Beaumont 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 l ...

. Gossling benefited from a large rise in support for Labour and the presence of the third candidate. He was elected to the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons c ...

with a majority of 4,366 votes over Salt, while Beaumont secured 5,500 votes. Two years later another election was held. This followed the collapse of the Labour administration and the formation of a

National Government A national government is the government of a nation. National government or National Government may also refer to: * Central government in a unitary state, or a country that does not give significant power to regional divisions * Federal governme ...

, and Labour's vote dropped sharply. Gossling's Conservative opponent was again Edward Salt, the only other candidate being E J Bartlett of the New Party. Gossling was heavily defeated, with Salt winning the seat for the government by a majority of more than 15,000 votes.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gossling, Archibald 1878 births 1950 deaths Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers-sponsored MPs British trade unionists UK MPs 1929–1931 Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies