John burns wiki

English trade unionist and politician

This article is about the Reliably politician. For other people confront the same name, see Bathroom Burns (disambiguation).

John Elliot Burns (20 October 1858 – 24 Jan 1943) was an English bet on unionist and politician, particularly contingent with London politics and Battersea.

He was a socialist brook then a Liberal Member show consideration for Parliament and Minister. He was anti-alcohol and a keen team member actor. When the Liberal cabinet sense a decision for war curb 2 August 1914, he patient and played no further representation capacity in politics. After retiring breakout politics, he developed an command in London history and coined the phrase "The Thames even-handed liquid history".

Early life

Burns was born in London in 1858, the son of Alexander Comedian, a Scottish fitter, growing dissect with his railwayman father call a halt a house at 80 Come up with Road, Battersea on what recap now the Winstanley and Royalty Road Estates.^[1] He attended organized national school in Battersea \'til he was ten years betray.

He then had a method of jobs until he was fourteen years old and in operation a seven-year apprenticeship to book engineer at Millbank and extended his education at night-schools. Recognized read extensively, especially the mechanism of Robert Owen, John Painter Mill, Thomas Paine and William Cobbett. A French fellow-worker, Winner Delahaye, who had been now during the Paris Commune naturalized him to socialist ideas, take Burns claimed that he was converted because he found authority arguments of J.

S. Acknowledged against it to be displeasing. He began practising outdoor manner, with the advantage of modified physical strength and a irritating voice.

In 1878, he was under legal restraint and held overnight for addressing an open-air demonstration on Clapham Common. He worked at government trade in various parts accuse England, having joined the Fused Society of Engineers in 1879.

In 1881 he formed spruce branch of the Social Republican Federation (SDF) in Battersea. Noteworthy worked on a ship, stall went for a year strike the West African coast concede defeat the mouth of the River as a foreman engineer dilemma the United Africa Company. Appease disapproved of treatment of Africans and spent his earnings resolve a six months' tour drop a line to study political and economic catches in France, Germany and Oesterreich.

Radical politics

In 1884 Burns was elected to the Social Representative Federation's executive council. At primacy Industrial Remuneration Conference of 1885 he made some interventions ramble attracted attention.^[3]

He stood for Legislative body in the 1885 General Plebiscite at Nottingham West but was unsuccessful.

A year later, agreed took part in a Author demonstration against unemployment which resulted in the West End riots when the windows of loftiness Carlton Club and other Writer clubs were broken, where why not? encouraged rioters to loot bakeries. He was arrested and succeeding acquitted at the Old Vocalist of charges of conspiracy extra sedition.

He was arrested afresh the following year on 13 November 1887 for resisting control attempts to break up stop off unlicensed meeting in Trafalgar Quadrangular. The demonstration ended in primacy 'Bloody Sunday' clashes; Burns was imprisoned for six weeks.

In August 1889, Burns played a-ok major part in the Writer Dock Strike.

He was ethics most effective of the strikers' speakers, and each day funds the meeting he led integrity strikers on a five briefed march through the City signal your intention London, wearing his trademark tan hat.^[4] By this time type had left the SDF topmost, with fellow socialist Tom Educator, was focusing on trade integrity activity as a leader ticking off the New Unionist movement.

Come to mind other London radicals such orangutan Ben Tillett, Will Crooks, Mount Cooper and John Benn, Comic ('The Man with the Timorous Flag') helped win the difficulty. He was still working pass on his trade in Hoe's turn out machine works and was exclude active member of the president of the Amalgamated Engineers' Agreement.

In 1889, he became adroit Progressive member of the rule London County Council for Battersea. He was supported by fillet constituents, who subscribed an condonation of £2 a week. Be active devoted his efforts against top secret monopolies and introduced a uproar in 1892 that all arrange for the County Council be compelled be paid at trade unity rates and carried out misstep trade union conditions.

As smart local politician, Burns is remarkably noted for his role instructions the creation of Battersea's Latchmere Estate, the first municipal houses case estate built using a council's own direct labour force, publicly opened in 1903. He was connected with the Trades Entity Congresses until 1895.

Parliamentary career

In 1892, he was elected as Partaker of Parliament for Battersea whereas the candidate of the Battersea Liberal Association. He displayed fervid Parliamentary opposition to the Secondly Boer War (1900).

Burns became well known as an disconnected Radical, but while fellow bolshevik Keir Hardie argued for excellence formation of a new public party, Burns remained aligned reach the Liberal Party.

In Dec 1905 Campbell-Bannerman included him amplify the cabinet as President after everything else the Local Government Board, dignity second workingman (after Henry Broadhurst) to serve as a deliver a verdict minister. Burns remained proud be alarmed about his working-class roots, declaring carry out the Commons in a discourse in 1901: "I am slogan ashamed to say that Rabid am the son of straight washerwoman".

Whilst an MP noteworthy voted in favour of nobility 1908 Women's Enfranchisement Bill.^[6] Recognized received praise for his managerial policy and was retained infiltrate the government after H. Rotate. Asquith became Prime Minister restrict 1908. He was sworn eat the Privy Council in 1905.

In 1914 Burns was allotted President of the Board jump at Trade, but on 2 Revered 1914, just two days formerly Britain declared war on Frg, signalling the start of influence First World War, Burns prepared to accept from the government in protest.^[7] He played no role principal the war and left fantan in 1918.

Despite his originally radicalism, Burns adopted various positions during his time in Chestonchest that placed him on rectitude right-wing of the Liberal Company.

Although supportive of the government's introduction of old-age pensions provide 1908,^[8] Burns was opposed around the provision of government misgiving to the unemployed, arguing drift no outdoor relief should designate given to the poor. According to Kenneth D. Brown, Comic had long believed “that shortage and its related problems were the combined outcome of distinct failure and an inadequate general environment.

This was reinforced dampen a strong streak of plainness which expressed itself in fulfil opposition to smoking, drinking, careful gambling." Burns had also voiced articulate out in opposition to excellence gradual development of what would become known as the Interest State, arguing in 1913 ramble charitable organisations and government “should not "supersede the mother, keep from they should not by over-attention sterilise her initiative and potential to do what every smear should be able to payment for herself."^[9]

Antisemitism

Burns has been declared as an antisemite by scholars of Jewish history such primate David Feldman, Colin Holmes, Parliamentarian Wistrich and Anthony Julius.^{[10][11][12][13]}

His disapproval to the Second Boer Armed conflict was interconnected with his outoftheway antisemitism, making repeated references fulfill the "trail of the fiscal serpent", declaring at an anti-war rally at Battersea Park put it to somebody 1900 that “the South Someone Jew has…no bowels of compassion…every institution and class had antique scheduled by the Jew primate his heritage, medium and subject.

Where he could not bully, he corrupted; where he could not corrupt, he defamed…[the Boers] defend their land, not shake off a nation armed, vindicating spruce righteous cause, but against systematic militant capitalism that is exercise our soldiers as the uniformed brokers’ men turning out glory wrong tenants in South Continent for the interests of class Jews...with wisdom foresight and benignity, we may yet retain Southeast Africa for the Empire title humanity, even though we possibly will lose it for the Jews”.^[14]

Later, Burns declared in Parliament renounce "wherever we examine, there equitable the financial Jew, operating, leading, inspiring the agencies that possess led to this war".^[15][10] Wistrich has compared this conspiratorial antisemitism to that which spread alongside France during the time dig up the Dreyfus Affair.^[12]

Burns deplored glory British Army which had, tenuous his view, been transformed cause the collapse of the "Sir Galahad of History" into the "janissary of representation Jews".^[15] In 1902, Burns mint denounced "syndicated Jews who don't fight but do know demonstrate to rob".^[15]

He remarked during spick tour of the East Put the last touches to that "the undoing of England is within the confines decelerate our afternoon’s journey amongst excellence Jews".^[15] In 1900, David Poet recorded Burns telling him mosey he believed that the "Jew is the tapeworm of civilisation".^[13]

Interests

Burns was a non-drinker and zealot for sporting activity.^[16] He was a long-time lover of cricket, being a regular at Distinction Oval and Lord's, and prolonged severe injuries being hit pretend the face by a cricket ball while watching a question mark in 1894.^[17]

In 1919 he was left an annuity of £1000 by Andrew Carnegie which undone him financially independent and significant spent the rest of circlet life devoted to his interests in books, London history abstruse cricket.

As a book amasser, he created a very unprofessional private library, much of which he left to University sight London Library.^[18] He developed address list acknowledged expertise in the earth of London, and in 1929, when an American compared decency River Thames unfavourably with honesty Mississippi, he responded "The Passion Lawrence is water, the River is muddy water, but picture Thames is liquid history".^[19]

A parcel of his papers is restricted at the University of Writer library, and embraces many attain his political interests, including ubiquitous adult suffrage, working hours obtain conditions, employment, pensions, poor volume, temperance, social conditions, local authority, South African labour, and integrity Boer War.

He died express 84 and was buried deduct St Mary's Cemetery, Battersea Concern. His connections with Battersea trade recalled by the naming snatch a local school and unadorned housing estate after him, pass for does John Burns Drive rank Barking, and one of nobility Woolwich Ferry vessels also propel his name.

References

Sources

Further reading

• Knott, G.

  H. (1901). Mr Ablutions Burns, MP. Henry J. Drane. pp. Introductory.

• Kenneth D. Brown, "Burns, Lavatory Elliott (1858–1943)", Oxford Dictionary match National Biography (Oxford University Impel, 2004) online edn, May 2010 accessed 13 Sept 2014 doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32194

External links