John Bruce Glasier (25 March 1859 – 4 June 1920) was a Scottish

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

politician, associated mainly with the

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party (UK), Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse work ...

. He was opposed to the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Biography

Glasier was born in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

as John Bruce, but grew up near Newton Ayr. After the death of his father in 1870, he returned to Glasgow and followed his mother in adding the additional name of "Glasier", thereafter using Bruce as his middle name. He became involved with the Irish Land League's activities in Scotland, and in 1884 was a founder member of the Scottish Land Restoration League, while also joining the Social Democratic Federation (SDF). He joined the Socialist League split from the SDF, becoming the secretary of its Glasgow branch until 1889. In 1893, he joined the

(ILP). In that year he married Katherine St John Conway. Glasier soon became one of the four main ILP leaders, and the editor of ''ILP News'', succeeding

Keir Hardie James Keir Hardie (15 August 185626 September 1915) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician. He was a founder of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, and was its first Leader of the Labour Party (UK), parliamentary leader from 1906 to 1908. ...

as chairman of the party in 1900 and holding the post for three years. In 1903, he was elected to

Chapel-en-le-Frith Chapel-en-le-Frith () is a town and civil parish, in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It has been dubbed the "Capital of the Peak", in reference to the Peak District, historically the highland areas between the Saxon lands (below ...

parish council. In 1905, Glasier became the editor of '' Labour Leader'', but left the post in 1909 and resigned from the ILP National Council, along with Hardie,

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

and

Philip Snowden Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden, PC (; 18 July 1864 – 15 May 1937) was a British politician. A strong speaker, he became popular in trade union circles for his denunciation of capitalism as unethical and his promise of a socialist utop ...

. The four were re-elected in 1910 and Glasier remained on the council until 1919. He opposed the First World War. Although struck by cancer in 1915, he continued to write until his death in 1920.

Works

*''The I.L.P. and Socialist Year Book: A Guide Book to the Labour and Socialist Movement at Home and Abroad'' (National Labour Press, 1911) *''Militarism'' (Independent Labour Party, London, 1915) *''The Peril of Conscription Being Part II of Militarism and Conscription'' (Independent Labour Party, London, 1915) *''James Keir Hardie: A Memorial'' (National Labour Press Ltd, London, 1916) *''The Minstrelsy of Peace'' (National Labour Press, 1918) *'' The Meaning of Socialism'' (Independent Labour Party, 1919) *''Kier Hardie: The Man and his Message'' (Independent Labour Party, 1919) *
Socialism and Strikes
' (National Labour Press, Manchester, 1895/1920) *'' On the Road to Liberty, poems and ballads'' (Manchester & London, National Labour Press, 1920) *'' William Morris and the Early Days of the Socialist Movement'' (Longmans, Green and Co, 1921)

References

External links

J. Bruce Glasier Archive
at marxists.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Glasier, John Bruce 1859 births 1920 deaths Independent Labour Party National Administrative Committee members Scottish politicians Scottish socialists Social Democratic Federation members Socialist League (UK, 1885) members Politicians from Glasgow People from Ayr

Biography

Works

References

Further reading

External links