John Edward Binks (3 May 1887 – 18 July 1963) 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 and politician, who served as President of the

National Union of Railwaymen The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. The largest railway workers' union in the country, it was influential in the national trade union movement. History The NUR was an industrial union ...

, and as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

on the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

. 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 ...

, Binks' father died when Eddie was only six years old, and he was later brought up by an aunt and uncle. He left school around the age of thirteen and became an office clerk, then when he was sixteen moved to work with the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...

, acting as a weighbridge clerk. He worked in a variety of jobs for the company, around London, before becoming a checker at St Pancras Goods Station. In 1913, the

(NUR) was founded, and Binks was elected as assistant secretary of its

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath. Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...

branch, the union's largest branch. In 1922, he was elected to the Local Department Committee and the Sectional Council, and in 1925 he became the branch secretary, also winning election to the union's executive. As early as 1933 he was nominated as the union's president, and he served as chair and then secretary of the employees' side of Council No.4. He eventually won the post of President of the NUR in 1945, serving a three-year term. As president, he led a union delegation to the Soviet Union, represented the union at numerous international conferences, and argued for a single union of railway workers, and the

nationalisation Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with priv ...

of the British railways. His term also saw the election of a Labour Party government, and Binks was strongly supportive, winning election to the party's National Executive Committee. At the

1931 London County Council election An election to the County Council of London took place on 5 March 1931. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Municipal Reform Party slightly increased its majority on the ...

, Binks stood for the Labour Party in St Pancras South East, but was not elected. However, in 1941 he was appointed to the council as an alderman, serving until 1946. When his term of office ended, Binks found work with the goods section at Broad Street railway station, then with the

Railway Executive The British Railways Board (BRB) was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that operated from 1963 to 2001. Until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand name British Railways and, fr ...

, where he co-ordinated goods traffic around London. In 1955, he was a founder member of the Southern Area Board, and he also served on its successor, the Southern Railway Board.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Binks, Eddie 1887 births 1963 deaths Labour Party (UK) councillors Members of London County Council People from Islington (district) Presidents of the National Union of Railwaymen