William Sampson Cluse (20 December 1875 – 8 September 1955) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Labour Party politician. Born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, he was orphaned at the age of five, by the time he was eleven Cluse was working part-time. At the age of fifteen he was

apprenticed Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulate ...

to the printing trade. In 1900 he entered politics, joining the

Social Democratic Federation The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury, James ...

. During 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 ...

he served in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

. Following the war he entered local government when he was elected to Islington Borough Council as a Labour Party councillor representing Tollington ward in 1919. At the 1922 municipal elections he was elected to the council again, this time as a representative of St Peter's Ward. At the 1923 general election he was elected Member of Parliament for Islington South. Re-elected twice, he lost his seat at the 1931 general election. He regained the seat in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

, retiring from parliament at the 1950 general election. He held a minor post in the war-time coalition government as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Transport and then to the

Minister of Aircraft Production The Minister of Aircraft Production was, from 1940 to 1945, the British government minister at the Ministry of Aircraft Production, one of the specialised supply ministries set up by the British Government during World War II. It was responsible ...

. On 17 December 1942,

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

, the foreign secretary, gave the first formal news of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

to the House of Commons. Cluse, an infrequent speaker, suggested that members "rise in their places" to observe a minute of silent protest. They did. He married Alice Louise Warner in 1902 and the couple had two children.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cluse, William Sampson 1875 births 1955 deaths UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs 1945–1950 Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies London Society of Compositors-sponsored MPs Members of Islington Metropolitan Borough Council British republicans