John McCann (4 December 1910 – 16 July 1972) was a British politician, who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

. McCann was educated at elementary school and then at classes of the

National Council of Labour Colleges The National Council of Labour Colleges (NCLC) was an organisation set up in the United Kingdom to foster independent working class education. The organisation was founded at a convention held in the Clarion Club House, Yardley, Birmingham on 8/9 ...

and

Workers' Educational Association Workers' Educational Associations (WEA) are not-for-profit bodies that deliver further education to adults in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. WEA UK WEA UK, founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult edu ...

. He became an engineer and diesel engine fitter and served with the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was elected a councillor on Eccles Borough Council in 1945 and was leader of the Labour Group. He was 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 ...

in Eccles from 1952 and Mayor 1955–56. He served as chairman of the West

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

Hospital Management Committee Hospital Management Committees (HMCs) were established as the main instrument for the local management of hospital services of the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales under the National Health Service Act 1946. There were originally ...

. McCann first contested the Rochdale seat for Parliament in 1955 without success. He was first elected in a 1958 by-election following the death of the sitting

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Wentworth Schofield Lt Col Wentworth Schofield (17 April 1891 – 16 December 1957) was a British politician who served as the last Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochdale from 25 October 1951 to 16 December 1957.https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hans ...

. He became an opposition

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

in 1961 and in 1964 was appointed to the Government's Whips' Office as

Lord Commissioner of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords (or Ladies) Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second ...

, then in 1966 as

Vice-Chamberlain of the Household The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The officeholder is usually a senior government whip in the British House of Commons ranking third or fourth after the Chief Whip and ...

, returning to be a Lord of the Treasury 1967–69. McCann died at Davyhulme Hospital on 16 July 1972, aged 61, after about a year of ill health. In the consequent by-election in October, he was succeeded as MP by the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

candidate

Cyril Smith Sir Cyril Richard Smith (28 June 1928 – 3 September 2010) was a British Liberal Party and Liberal Democrat politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochdale from 1972 to 1992. Smith was first active in local politics as ...

, who had previously been a Labour mayor of the town.

References

External links

* 1910 births 1972 deaths Military personnel from Manchester Amalgamated Engineering Union-sponsored MPs British Home Guard soldiers Councillors in Greater Manchester Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Mayors of places in Greater Manchester Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Rochdale Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970 People from Eccles, Greater Manchester UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 {{England-Labour-UK-MP-stub