Albert Hilton, Baron Hilton of Upton
Encyclopedia
Albert Victor Hilton, Baron Hilton of Upton, JP
(14 February 1908 – 3 May 1977) was a British
farm labourer and trade union
official who became a Labour Party
Member of Parliament
and later life peer
.
family and was born in South Walsham
. He attended an elementary school in Upton
only before going to work as an agricultural labourer. He was an athletic youth who enjoyed playing football
, including for the Norfolk county team in 1932. He was also a Methodist
lay preacher from 1932. A member of the National Union of Agricultural Workers
, he served as Swaffham
Area Organiser for the union.
, became a full-time Party Agent for East Norfolk
Constituency Labour Party
. He was responsible for organising the campaign in the East Norfolk by-election
of 1939. During the Second World War, Hilton served in the Royal Army Service Corps
with the rank of Corporal. He married Nelly Simmons in 1944; they had two sons, both of whom predeceased him.
in 1949, becoming Vice Chairman of the Swaffham Magistrates, and in 1951 was elected to Norfolk County Council.
, was killed in a car accident in December 1958. Hilton was chosen to defend the 193 vote majority in the seat, the first time he had fought a Parliamentary election. With a largely agricultural constituency, he concentrated on issues such as land nationalisation and abolition of tied cottages, and succeeded in winning by 1,354 votes. However, in the general election
only a few months later, Hilton squeaked in by only 78 votes.
nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom; on hearing that this stance was not endorsed by the leadership, he withdrew his signature. In the 1960 leadership election
, he publicly backed Hugh Gaitskell
. He remained involved in his union and in May 1960 was elected as first Vice President; at the end of 1960 Hilton was part of a six-member delegation to Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
In October 1961, Hilton was elected to the National Executive Committee
of the Labour Party from the trade union section, replacing the previous nominee of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. In the 1963 Labour Party conference, he replied on behalf of the NEC to a debate on tied cottages, and accepted that a Labour government would make it impossible to evict the tenant of a tied cottage without providing alternative accommodation.
, he was defeated by the Conservatives. He replaced Edwin Gooch
, who had been Labour MP for North Norfolk
until his death, as President of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. He was appointed as government member of the board of the British Sugar Corporation Ltd in 1965, and later that year was awarded a life peerage. He took the title Baron Hilton of Upton, of Swaffham in the County of Norfolk.
) in the House of Lords
from 1966. He was also appointed to the East Anglia Economic Planning Council in 1966, and served as Chairman of the National Brotherhood Movement within the Methodist Church in 1967. In 1971, Lord Hilton broke the whip to vote in support of the British application to join the European Communities
. His wife died on 3 September 1976, which devastated Hilton who was also suffering ill health.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(14 February 1908 – 3 May 1977) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
farm labourer and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
official who became a Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and later life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
.
Farming career
Hilton was from a NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
family and was born in South Walsham
South Walsham
South Walsham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is adjacent to South Walsham Broad.It covers an area of and had a population of 738 in 303 households as of the 2001 census....
. He attended an elementary school in Upton
Upton, Norfolk
Upton is a village on the River Bure in Norfolk, England within The Broads National Park.Administratively it comes under the civil parish of Upton with Fishley which in turn comes under the district of Broadland. It is north of Acle, halfway between Norwich and Great Yarmouth.St. Margaret's Church...
only before going to work as an agricultural labourer. He was an athletic youth who enjoyed playing football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, including for the Norfolk county team in 1932. He was also a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
lay preacher from 1932. A member of the National Union of Agricultural Workers
National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers
The National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom.It was established as the Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers & Small Holders Union at a conference of Norfolk agricultural workers at the Angel Hotel, North Walsham on 20 July 1906...
, he served as Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
Area Organiser for the union.
Labour Party official
In 1936 Hilton, who was an active supporter of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, became a full-time Party Agent for East Norfolk
East Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
East Norfolk was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Norfolk. It returned two Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868. Another Eastern division was created in 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
. He was responsible for organising the campaign in the East Norfolk by-election
East Norfolk by-election, 1939
The East Norfolk by-election, 1939 was a parliamentary by-election held on 26 January 1939 for the British House of Commons constituency of East Norfolk.- Previous MP :...
of 1939. During the Second World War, Hilton served in the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
with the rank of Corporal. He married Nelly Simmons in 1944; they had two sons, both of whom predeceased him.
Trade Union official
After the end of the war, Hilton moved on from the Labour Party to become an official of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. He was appointed as a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1949, becoming Vice Chairman of the Swaffham Magistrates, and in 1951 was elected to Norfolk County Council.
By-election candidate
The sitting Labour MP for the marginal South West Norfolk constituency, Sidney DyeSidney Dye
Sidney Dye, JP was a British Labour Party politician.Born at Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, Sidney Dye was educated at Wells Elementary School and Ruskin College, Oxford....
, was killed in a car accident in December 1958. Hilton was chosen to defend the 193 vote majority in the seat, the first time he had fought a Parliamentary election. With a largely agricultural constituency, he concentrated on issues such as land nationalisation and abolition of tied cottages, and succeeded in winning by 1,354 votes. However, in the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
only a few months later, Hilton squeaked in by only 78 votes.
Political position
Hilton proved a generally loyal MP. In his first months, he signed a motion opposing the stockpiling of United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom; on hearing that this stance was not endorsed by the leadership, he withdrew his signature. In the 1960 leadership election
Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1960
The British Labour Party leadership election of 1960 was held when, for the first time since 1935, the incumbent leader was challenged for re-election...
, he publicly backed Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Gaitskell
Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell CBE was a British Labour politician, who held Cabinet office in Clement Attlee's governments, and was the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1955, until his death in 1963.-Early life:He was born in Kensington, London, the third and youngest...
. He remained involved in his union and in May 1960 was elected as first Vice President; at the end of 1960 Hilton was part of a six-member delegation to Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
In October 1961, Hilton was elected to the National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
of the Labour Party from the trade union section, replacing the previous nominee of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. In the 1963 Labour Party conference, he replied on behalf of the NEC to a debate on tied cottages, and accepted that a Labour government would make it impossible to evict the tenant of a tied cottage without providing alternative accommodation.
Defeat
Hilton's agricultural constituency was trending away from Labour, against the national swing. At the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, he was defeated by the Conservatives. He replaced Edwin Gooch
Edwin Gooch
Edwin George Gooch was a British Labour Party politician and trade union leader.Gooch was appointed an Alderman for Norfolk County Council...
, who had been Labour MP for North Norfolk
North Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
North Norfolk is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
until his death, as President of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. He was appointed as government member of the board of the British Sugar Corporation Ltd in 1965, and later that year was awarded a life peerage. He took the title Baron Hilton of Upton, of Swaffham in the County of Norfolk.
House of Lords
He served as a Lord in Waiting (junior whipWhip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
) in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
from 1966. He was also appointed to the East Anglia Economic Planning Council in 1966, and served as Chairman of the National Brotherhood Movement within the Methodist Church in 1967. In 1971, Lord Hilton broke the whip to vote in support of the British application to join the European Communities
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. His wife died on 3 September 1976, which devastated Hilton who was also suffering ill health.