Duncan Carmichael (1870 – 31 August 1926) 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 ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

and

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 ...

activist.

Biography

Living in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

, Carmichael joined 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 ...

(SDF) in 1903, and served on its executive committee from 1909 to 1911. He stood for the group in local elections to the Battersea Metropolitan Borough Council on several occasions. Labour Party, ''Report of the 26th Annual Conference'', p.71 The SDF became the main component of the

British Socialist Party The British Socialist Party (BSP) was a Marxist political organisation established in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of political faction, factional struggle, in 1916 the party's ...

(BSP), and Carmichael was elected to its first standing orders committee, alongside C. T. Douthwaite, E. C. Fairchild and

Peter Petroff Peter Petroff (; 21 October 1919 – 27 February 2003
''The New York Times'': Peter D. Petroff Dies at 83. Re ...

, the four working together to ensure voices within the party which opposed British re-armament were heard.David Howell, ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', vol.XII, pp.72-76 The BSP affiliated to the Labour Party, and this enabled Carmichael to win a seat in the Winstanley ward, which he held until his death in 1924. He championed the Battersea Right to Work Movement and the Workers' Welfare League for India. While regarding himself as a revolutionary Marxist, proposed only motions which he believed had the support of a large number of local workers. Carmichael was one of the leading members of the National Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Through this, he unionised workers at

Smithfield Market Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly Wards of the City of London, ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City in ...

and founded the Journeymen Butchers' Federation of Great Britain. He was also one of the main founders of the

National Union of Police and Prison Officers National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

. During

World War I 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 ...

, Carmichael sat on the London Food Vigilance Committee, and argued that

rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution (marketing), distribution of scarcity, scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resourc ...

should be introduced in order to prevent starvation of workers due to food shortages. He was also a leading campaigner against conscription. Following the war, he became the first president of the National Union of Ex-Service Men. In 1917, Carmichael was elected as the secretary of

London Trades Council The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades (Union) Councils History Leading figures in the London trade union mov ...

, and held the post until his death in 1924. In this post, he was known as an ally of the

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...

, although he does not appear to have joined the party, and by this time was known for his interest in

guild socialism Guild socialism is an ideology and a political movement advocating workers' control of industry through the medium of trade-related guilds "in an implied contractual relationship with the public". It originated in the United Kingdom and was at ...

.Alan Clinton, ''The Trade Union Rank and File: Trades Councils in Britain, 1900-40'', p.90

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmichael, Duncan 1870 births 1926 deaths British Socialist Party members Councillors in Greater London Labour Party (UK) councillors British trade union leaders People from Battersea Social Democratic Federation members