Arthur Greenwood
Oxford Dictionary of Political Biography:
Top
Arthur Greenwood
(b. 8 Feb. 1883; d. 9 June 1954) British; Minister of Health 1929 – 31, deputy leader of the Labour Party 1935 – 45 The son of a decorator, Greenwood was educated at a higher grade school and the Yorkshire College (later Leeds University). After graduating he taught at the university and for the Workers' Educational Association. During the First World War he was a civil servant in David Lloyd George's secretariat. He became secretary to the Labour Party's Research Department in 1920 and played a leading role in policy formulation there until he gave up the post up, in 1943.
Greenwood entered the Commons as member for Nelson and Colne in 1922 and represented this constituency until the party's decimation in 1931. Returned to parliament at a by-election in Wakefield in 1932, he held that seat until his death. His ministerial career never matched up to the promise many saw in him in his early years or to his great popularity in the party, which resulted in his holding the deputy leadership for ten years and a lengthy membership of the National Executive Committee. After junior ministerial office in 1924, he was Minister of Health, in the Cabinet, between 1929 and 1931. He then held a non-portfolio post in Winston Churchill's coalition government for two years (1940 – 2). He also held non-portfolio Cabinet posts for two years (1945 – 7) in Clement Attlee's Labour government (1945 – 51). His role was mainly policy co-ordination and his primary interest domestic, and especially social, policy. In this sphere his most lasting achievement was his decision (while in the wartime coalition government) to set up the Beveridge Committee, whose report laid the foundation for the post-war welfare state.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Arthur Greenwood
- For the U.S. congressional representative from Indiana, see Arthur H. Greenwood.
Arthur Greenwood CH (8 February 1880 – 9 June 1954) was a prominent member of the Labour Party from the 1920s until the late 1940s. He rose to prominence within the party as secretary of its research department from 1920 and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health in the short-lived Labour government of 1924. In 1940, he was instrumental in resolving that Britain would continue fighting Nazi Germany in World War II. He was also noted for problems with alcoholism.[1]
Greenwood became deputy leader of the Labour Party under Clement Attlee. Arguably his most famous moment came on 2 September 1939 when, acting for an absent Attlee, he was called to respond to Neville Chamberlain's ambivalent speech on whether Britain would aid Poland. Preparing to respond, he was interrupted by an angry Conservative backbencher, Leo Amery, who exclaimed "Speak for England, Arthur!"[2] A flustered Greenwood proceeded to denounce Chamberlain's remarks, to the applause of his colleagues. When the wartime coalition government was formed, Winston Churchill appointed him to the British War Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio in 1940. He was generally seen as ineffectual, but in May 1940 he emerged as Churchill's strongest and most vocal supporter in the lengthy War Cabinet debates on whether to accept or reject a peace offer from Germany.[3] Without the vote in favour of fighting on by Greenwood and Clement Attlee, Churchill would not have had the slim majority he needed to do so.[4]
After that his position declined and he resigned in 1943. The same year, he was elected as Treasurer of the Labour Party, beating Herbert Morrison in a close contest.[5]
Until the end of World War II, Greenwood also performed the function of Leader of the Opposition, though he did not receive the salary.
During the Attlee government, he served successively as Lord Privy Seal and Paymaster-General.
Greenwood's son Anthony Greenwood (later Lord Greenwood) (1911–1982) was an MP from 1946 and a member of Harold Wilson's governments.
References
- ^ Marr, Andrew: A History of Modern Britain (2009 paperback), page xvi
- ^ Olson, Lynne. Troublesome Young Men: The Rebels Who Brought Churchill To Power and Helped Save England (Toronto, Anchor Canada, 2008)
- ^ Jenkins, Roy, Churchill: A Biography (London, Macmillan, 2001), page 601
- ^ Marr, Andrew: A History of Modern Britain (2009 paperback), page xvii
- ^ "Greenwood, Arthur", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Arthur Greenwood
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robinson Graham |
Member of Parliament for Nelson and Colne 1922–1931 |
Succeeded by Linton Thorpe |
| Preceded by George Brown Hillman |
Member of Parliament for Wakefield 1932–1954 |
Succeeded by Arthur Creech Jones |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Neville Chamberlain |
Minister of Health 1929–1931 |
Succeeded by Neville Chamberlain |
| Preceded by Frederick Pethick-Lawrence |
Leader of the Opposition 1942–1945 |
Succeeded by Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by George Lathan |
Treasurer of the Labour Party 1943–1954 |
Succeeded by Hugh Gaitskell |
| Preceded by The Lord Beaverbrook |
Lord Privy Seal 1945–1947 |
Succeeded by The Lord Inman |
| Preceded by Vacant |
Paymaster-General 1946–1947 |
Succeeded by Hilary Marquand |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Clement Attlee |
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1935–1945 |
Succeeded by Herbert Morrison |
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Oxford Dictionary of Political Biography
A Dictionary of Political Biography. Copyright © 1998, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Read more
