John Buckle (1867 – 8 November 1925) 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.

Biography

Buckle was an official in the

National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1873 and 1971. It represented workers in the footwear industry. History The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and ...

, and was the first Labour

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 ...

Leeds City Council Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Leeds has had a council since 1626, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the ...

. In 1908 he was one of three members of the union who were nominated as parliamentary candidates. In the event he did not in fact contest an election until 1922. By 1915 he had become president of the Shoe and Boot Operatives. By 1919 he had moved to

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

. In that year he was appointed by the

Minister of Labour Minister of labour (in British English) or labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...

to the Trade Board for the Shoe and Boot Repairing Trade as a workers' representative. In 1922 he was the travelling organiser for his union and the society's principal negotiator. In the general election of 1922 he was elected to the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

as Member of Parliament for the Eccles Division of Lancashire, unseating 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 ...

incumbent, Marshall Stevens. He held the seat when a further election was held in 1923. Although his total number of votes fell from 14,354 to 12,227 he was able to increase his majority over Stevens from 1,803 to 1,863 with the anti-Labour vote split by the presence of a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

candidate. A minority Labour government that was formed following the election collapsed in October 1924, necessitating a further

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

. Although he managed to increase his vote, Buckle was defeated in a straight fight by the Conservative candidate Albert Bethel by over 2,000 votes. He died in the following year.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buckle, John 1867 births 1925 deaths Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives-sponsored MPs UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924