Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden

For more information on Philip Snowden Viscount Snowden of Ickornshaw, visit Britannica.com.

(b. Yorkshire, 18 July 1864; d. 15 May 1937) British; Chancellor of the Exchequer 1924 and 1929 – 31 The son of a weaver, Snowden received only an elementary education. After clerical jobs, he became editor of a socialist newspaper. His skills as a propagandist were significant in the development first of the Independent Labour Party and then of the Labour Representation Committee (later Labour Party). He sat on the National Administrative Committee of the ILP for many years and was twice its chairman (1903 – 6 and 1917 – 20). However, he resigned from the ILP in 1927 in protest at its alleged extremism.

After entering the House of Commons as member for Blackburn in 1906 Snowden established a reputation as an expert on public finance. His opposition to the First World War resulted in electoral defeat in 1918, but he re-entered parliament in 1922. His first ministerial post was the chancellorship of the Exchequer in the first Labour government (1924). His cautious policy incurred criticism from Labour's left wing, but he shared Ramsay MacDonald's determination to prove Labour "fit to govern" by financial orthodoxy. He pursued the same line in the second Labour government (1929 – 31), but the policy exacerbated the economic depression and the unemployment problem.

In August 1931, Snowden was one of the few ministers to join MacDonald's national government when the Labour government collapsed. He continued as Chancellor and, after an emergency budget making further expenditure cuts, was compelled to respond to continuing pressure on sterling by suspending the gold standard. This was his final major decision as Chancellor. He did not contest the general election in October and went to the House of Lords as Lord Privy Seal. Early in 1932, differences arose over the introduction of a protectionist trade policy and Snowden was one of four "free traders" whose resignations were averted only by the Cabinet's unprecedented adoption of an "agreement to differ". This proved only a temporary solution to the government's internal tensions and they resigned eight months later over imperial trade preference. Out of office, Snowden became an outspoken critic of the government and of MacDonald personally, though he never rejoined the Labour Party from which he and other Labour members joining the national government had been expelled. His two-volume An Autobiography (1937) is a useful account of the formative years of the Labour Party.

Snowden, Philip (1864-1937). Labour politician. Snowden came from Yorkshire weaving stock, but managed to obtain a junior post in the civil service. He joined the Independent Labour Party, of which he became (1903-6 and 1917-20) national chairman, entering Parliament in 1906 as MP for Blackburn, later representing Colne Valley. During the 1920s his revolutionary ardour dimmed; he opposed the General Strike (1926) and resigned from the ILP the following year. Snowden's grasp of fiscal matters led to his appointment as chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour governments of 1924 and 1929-31, but far from pursuing a socialist economic policy he revealed himself as a devotee of the balanced budget. Following the collapse of the minority Labour government in 1931, Snowden joined Ramsay MacDonald's National Government, retaining his Exchequer portfolio, but the following year (by then a viscount) he resigned on the issue of free trade.

The Right Honourable  Viscount Snowden  PC
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 7 June 1929 – 5 November 1931
Preceded by	Winston Churchill
Succeeded by	Neville Chamberlain
In office 22 January 1924 – 3 November 1924
Preceded by	Neville Chamberlain
Succeeded by	Winston Churchill
Born	16 July 1864 Cowling, Yorkshire, England
Died	15 May 1937 (aged 72) Tilford, Surrey, England
Political party	Labour

Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden PC (18 July 1864 – 15 May 1937) was a British politician and the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Chancellor of the Exchequer 3 Later life 4 External links

Early life

Snowden was born in Cowling in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His father had been a weaver and a Chartist, and Snowden joined the Liberal Party and followed his parents in becoming a Methodist and a teetotaller. While researching a speech on the dangers of socialism, Snowden instead became convinced by the ideology, and joined the Independent Labour Party. He became a prominent speaker for the party and wrote a popular Christian socialist pamphlet with Keir Hardie entitled The Christ that is to Be in 1903.

In 1905, Snowden married Ethel Annakin, a campaigner for women's suffrage. Snowden supported his wife's ideals and he became a noted speaker at suffragette meetings and other public meetings. In 1906, he became the Labour Party MP for Blackburn. He also wrote extensively on economics and advised David Lloyd George on the 1909 budget.

During the First World War, Snowden stuck to his pacifist principles offering his support to conscientious objectors. As a consequence of his anti-war sentiments he lost his seat in the 1918 general election. In 1922 he was elected to represent Colne Valley.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Upon Ramsay MacDonald's appointment as Prime Minister in January 1924 he was appointed as the Labour Party's first ever Chancellor of the Exchequer. He reduced some flat-rate taxes, as well as abolishing some tariffs, but did not implement the socialist measures he had previously proposed. He lost his position in November of the same year when the Conservatives were re-elected to government.

Snowden returned to government with Ramsay MacDonald's victory in May 1929 and was again appointed Chancellor. His economic philosophy was one of strict Gladstonian Liberalism rather than socialism. His official biographer wrote that "He was raised in an atmosphere which regarded borrowing as an evil and free trade as an essential ingredient of prosperity".

He was considered by many at the time and since as being the principal opposition to the government following any radical economic policy to tackle the Great Depression as well as blocking proposals to introduce protectionist tariffs. The government eventually collapsed over arguments about a budget deficit amidst refusals by a significant minority of ministers to enact cuts in unemployment benefit.

Snowden retained the position of Chancellor during the National Government of 1931. As a consequence he was expelled from the party, along with MacDonald and Jimmy Thomas. In a BBC radio broadcast on 16 October 1931 he called Labour's policies "Bolshevism run mad" and contrasted them unfavourably with his own "sane and evolutionary Socialism". Snowden decided not to stand for parliament in the election of November 1931.

Later life

He was created Viscount Snowden, of Ickornshaw in the West Riding of the County of York, and served as Lord Privy Seal from 1931 to 1932 when he resigned in protest at the enactment of a full scheme of Imperial Preference and protectionist tariffs. He subsequently wrote his Autobiography in which he strongly opposed MacDonald. In the 1935 General Election, Snowden supported a radical economic programme proposed by Lloyd George, despite it being a complete repudiation of Snowden's own record. He died on 15 May 1937.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Philip Snowden
• Philip Snowden - Blackburn Labour Party

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir William Coddington Sir William Henry Hornby	Member of Parliament for Blackburn 1906–1918 With: Sir William Henry Hornby, 1906–1910 Sir Thomas Barclay, 1910 Sir Henry Norman, from 1910	Succeeded by Percy Thompson Dean Sir Henry Norman
Preceded by Frederick William Mallalieu	Member of Parliament for Colne Valley 1922–1931	Succeeded by Edward Lancelot Mallalieu
Political offices
Preceded by Bruce Glasier	Chairman of the Independent Labour Party 1903–1906	Succeeded by Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by Frederick William Jowett	Chairman of the Independent Labour Party 1917–1920	Succeeded by Richard Collingham Wallhead
Preceded by Neville Chamberlain	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1924	Succeeded by Winston Churchill
Preceded by Winston Churchill	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1929–1931	Succeeded by Neville Chamberlain
Preceded by The Earl Peel	Lord Privy Seal 1931–1932	Succeeded by Stanley Baldwin
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by New Creation	Viscount Snowden	Succeeded by Extinct

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