John William Banfield (29 August 1875 – 25 May 1945) was a British

trade union 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 ...

ist and Labour Party politician, who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Wednesbury Wednesbury ( ) is a market town in the Sandwell district, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England; it was historically in Staffordshire. It is located near the source of the River Tame, West Midlands, River Tame and ...

from 1932 until his death in 1945.

Early life

Banfield was born in Burton-upon-Trent on 29 August 1875, the son of Frederick Charles Banfield (b. 4 May 1853, d. 16 Jan 1898), a blacksmith, brewer's labourer and upholsterer's assistant, and Mary Ann Simnett. He worked as a confectioner and baker, and was General Secretary of the

Amalgamated Union of Operative Bakers, Confectioners and Allied Workers The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1847 in Manchester, it represents workers in the food industry. History The union dates its origin to 1847. The Manchester Friendly Associatio ...

from 1915 until he retired in 1940.''Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III, 1919-1945.'' (Stenton, M. & Lees, S., 1979, p18)

Political career

Banfield unsuccessfully contested the 1918 general election in Birmingham Aston. When the Labour Party unexpectedly gained control of Fulham Borough Council in 1919 they added Banfield to the Aldermanic bench to add political and trade union expertise. Banfield was a government delegate representing the work people at Geneva from 1924 to 1925. He was unsuccessful in Fulham West at a by-election in 1930 and at the 1931 general election. In 1932, the

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 ...

MP for

, Viscount Ednam succeeded to the peerage as

Earl of Dudley Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of the West Midlands (though previously in the County of Stafford) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family. Hist ...

, triggering a by-election in July 1932. Banfield was selected as Labour's candidate, hoping to regain a seat which had been held by Labour from 1918 to 1931. After a campaign focusing on the

means test A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for government benefits, assistance or welfare, based upon whether the individual or family possesses the means to do with less or none of that help. Means testing is ...

for unemployment benefit (in a constituency with 12,000 unemployed), Banfield won the Wednesbury 1932 by-election, defeating Conservative Rex Davis. He was re-elected at the 1935 general election. In December 1936, he delivered an address, 'Sunday: An M.P.'s Convictions' at the Alliance Birthday Celebrations of the Imperial Alliance for the Defence of Sunday, arguing that Sunday should be a day of rest and worship. In June 1937, he made a speech in Parliament, proposing the addition of a clause to the Factories Bill: Prohibition of night work in bakehouses. His campaigning led to him being known as "The Bakers' MP". Banfield died aged 69, in

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

, London of a heart attack shortly before the 1945 general election.

Personal life and legacy

On 5 September 1897, he married Annie Elizabeth Newman, daughter of baker John Newman, in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. A block of council flats, William Banfield House in Munster Road, Fulham was named after him. His son,

Frank Banfield Frank Walter Banfield (14 August 1905 – 31 March 1970) was a British people, British politician, who served on the London County Council and Greater London Council. The youngest son of William Banfield, Frank followed him into the Labour ...

, also became a prominent politician in Hammersmith and Fulham.

References

External links

* *Hansard 1803-2005
Prohibition of night work in bakehouses
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balfield, John William 1875 births 1945 deaths Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 British trade union leaders People from Burton upon Trent Politicians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham