John Jagger (1 October 1872 – 9 July 1942)[1] was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician. After a career in business and trade union leadership, he won a seat in the House of Commons in 1935, and held it until his death in a road accident.

Career

Jagger spent the early part of his career in business, and travelled for four years as a business manager in India, China and Burma.[2] He then became a departmental manager in co-operative stores.[2]

He was chairman of the York Trades and Labour Council,[3] and became president of the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees, of which he was the chief founder. In 1921 he became general president of the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers,[3] and held that post until he entered Parliament in 1935.

At the 1935 general election, he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Clayton,[4] defeating the Conservative MP William Flanagan.[5] The seat had been won by Flanagan in 1931 after it had been held by Labour since 1922.[5]

In December 1935 he was a speaker at the Congress of Peace and Friendship with Russia, held in Friends House on the Euston Road in London.[6] In July 1936, he was one eleven MPs who sent a telegram to Prime Minister of Spain expressing their "admiration of the heroic fight being put up by the Spanish people against the attack of Fascists".[7] The MPs pledged themselves "to do everything in our power to rally behind your struggle the whole British people".[7]

In 1938, he was one of the Labour MPs who visited Spain during the Civil War.[2] In May 1940, when Herbert Morrison became Minister of Supply in the wartime coalition government, Jagger was appointed as his Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS).[2] Morrison was promoted to Home Secretary in October 1940, and Jagger remained his PPS in the new post.[2]

Death

In July 1942, the 69-year-old Jagger had been staying in a cottage in Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.[2] On 9 July he was riding his motorcycle to Beaconsfield railway station when he collided with a car, and was killed instantly.[2] His death caused a by-election in Manchester Clayton, when the seat was held for Labour by Harry Thorneycroft.[8]

Family

Jagger married Martha Southern in 1899, and they had two sons.

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 4)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituary: Mr. J. Jagger, M.P.". The Times. London. 10 July 1942. p. 7, col D.
  3. ^ a b "The General Election First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. London. 15 November 1935. pp. 8–9.
  4. ^ "No. 34223". The London Gazette. 26 November 1935. p. 7501.
  5. ^ a b Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 186. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  6. ^ "Anglo-Russian Relations Peace Congress In London, Promoting Friendship". The Times. London. 9 December 1935. p. 8, col A.
  7. ^ a b "M.P.s' Message To Spanish Prime Minister". The Times. London. 29 July 1936. p. 14, col D.
  8. ^ "News in Brief: Clayton by-election result". The Times. London. 19 October 1942. p. 2, col C.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byWilliam Flanagan Member of Parliament for Manchester Clayton 1935 – 1942 Succeeded byHarry Thorneycroft Trade union offices Preceded byRobert Bell Padley President of the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees 1919–1921 Succeeded byUnion merged Preceded byNew position President of the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers 1921–1942 Succeeded byPercy Cottrell
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