Percy Morris
Encyclopedia
Percy Morris CBE
JP
(6 October 1893 – 7 March 1967) was a British
railway clerk, trade unionist and politician who became Mayor of Swansea
and represented the town in Parliament. He specialised in railway issues in Parliament, and after being defeated for re-election, he served on public boards in the field of transport and social security.
and attended Manselton Elementary School followed by Dynevor Secondary School. On leaving school in 1908 he joined the administrative staff of the Great Western Railway
. He joined the Railway Clerks' Association of Great Britain and Ireland and became an active trade unionist. While he was still in his teens, he became involved in the political Labour movement and was said to be "in much demand" as a public speaker. He became a member of the executive committee of the Railway Clerks' Association in 1930.
candidate for Swansea West
after the previous candidate was made a Judge. When the general election
campaign started Morris was gloomy about the economic prospects of Swansea which he saw losing out to Ebbw Vale
in tinplate manufacture. Morris cut the majority of the sitting Liberal National
MP from 6,016 to 2,081 in the election.
of Swansea and became a Justice of the Peace
on the local bench in 1939. As chairman of Swansea A.R.P.
committee in 1941, he was presented to the King
and Queen
when they visited Swansea. At the end of July he was appointed Deputy Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence in the Wales Region. He was also made President of the Railway Clerk's Association in 1943 (a post he held for ten years, including after the merger in which it became the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
), and served as Deputy Mayor of Swansea from 1944 to 1945.
As the war came to an end, Morris resigned his Civil Defence post, in order to fight for election in Swansea West in the 1945 general election
. Although reports during the campaign suggested that the sitting member felt his campaign was successful, on polling day Morris was returned with a majority of 5,009.
in November 1945, urging that the Government persuade both the United States
and Soviet Union
to discard the atomic bomb
. He backed a rebel amendment to the loyal address in reply to the King's Speech
in November 1946, opposing the operation of conscription
in peace-time., although he welcomed the nationalisation
of the railways, saying that the big four railway companies had "brought their difficulties on themselves by their stubborn neglect of the public interest".
In February 1947, Morris again broke the whip
to oppose a government amendment which allowed civic restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks, and to support an amendment to prevent their sale in Wales. He opposed the National Service Bill in 1947 which continued civilian conscription, and then voted to support rebel amendments to restrict conscription to England only, or to remove Wales.
. He pressed in the new Parliament for increased charges or subsidy to the railways in order to have industrial peace. In 1951 he criticised an opposition motion which called for increased railway charges to be annulled, arguing that the new charges on their own would not solve the problem. He stated that if the increased charges were rejected, then Labour members would recast the entire financial structure of the railway industry. At this time he was reckoned an ally of Herbert Morrison
in the Labour Party.
Morris' majority was again reduced to 2,160. He criticised the new Conservative Government's approach to railways, describing the Transport Bill introduced in 1952 as giving the Minister powers that would "make him the virtual dictator of transport" and "the Führer of British transport". He carried his opposition through the Bill's Parliamentary stages and after it had come into force he said he believed it had been prompted by the Government's need to repay a political debt to the Road Haulage Association. Morris pledged that a Labour government would renationalise road haulage when it got the opportunity.
Morris was the lead speaker for the opposition in a debate on the tinplate industry in January 1953, in which he called for a full-time Minister for Wales instead of it being one of the responsibilities of the Home Secretary
. In September 1953 he brokered a solution to a dispute between Swansea market meat traders and the Ministry of Food over the distribution of 30 sides of fat beef. In 1954 he was one of five Members of Parliament to tour British colonial territories in the far east.
in which for the first time his opponent was a Conservative
without affiliation to the National Liberal Party
. The redevelopment of Swansea town centre was reckoned to help the Conservatives, although some large council housing estates had been built. Morris was chosen as Mayor of the town shortly before the election, and on polling day he retained his seat with the slender majority of 1,021.
As Mayor of Swansea, Morris politely deferred to Cardiff
which was applying for recognition as the capital of Wales
. He became increasing interested in local government issues, especially finance, and in 1957 criticized the block grant system for neglecting education funding.
while driving his car. Morris remained an active member of Swansea council and in July 1957 as chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, he pressed the Minister of Works to remove Swansea Castle
from the list of ancient monuments. He argued that the castle was a "shambles" and that the council did not have the money to pay for its repair, but redevelopment of the site was in the town's interests. In 1958 he was made a Freeman
of the County Borough of Swansea.
, Morris' seat was one of most high-profile marginal seats in the country. He had Aneurin Bevan
to open his campaign, and attacked the Conservative Government for increasing unemployment. However, the Conservatives also had high-profile support including from Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
. Local people were thought to be against nationalisation and Swansea Council had embarked on a controversial plan of comprehensive education
to which Morris was tied by virtue of his high rank within the council leadership. An energetic young Conservative candidate, Hugh Rees
defeated Morris by 403 votes.
Morris remained Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Swansea County Borough Council. Immediately after the election one Labour Alderman moved a motion protesting against remarks by Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery
who had questioned the sanity of people who intended to vote for the Labour Party. Morris argued that as Montgomery "had had the grace to apologise, the committee should have equal grace to accept the apology".
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
JP
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...
(6 October 1893 – 7 March 1967) 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...
railway clerk, trade unionist and politician who became Mayor of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and represented the town in Parliament. He specialised in railway issues in Parliament, and after being defeated for re-election, he served on public boards in the field of transport and social security.
Railway clerk
Morris was born in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and attended Manselton Elementary School followed by Dynevor Secondary School. On leaving school in 1908 he joined the administrative staff of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. He joined the Railway Clerks' Association of Great Britain and Ireland and became an active trade unionist. While he was still in his teens, he became involved in the political Labour movement and was said to be "in much demand" as a public speaker. He became a member of the executive committee of the Railway Clerks' Association in 1930.
1935 election
In 1927 Morris was elected to Swansea County Borough Council, on which he became chair of the Parliamentary Committee. He was selected in January 1934 to be the prospective 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...
candidate for Swansea West
Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea West is a constituency of 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....
after the previous candidate was made a Judge. When the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
campaign started Morris was gloomy about the economic prospects of Swansea which he saw losing out to Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
in tinplate manufacture. Morris cut the majority of the sitting Liberal National
National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party may mean:Active parties:*National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party **National Liberal Youth...
MP from 6,016 to 2,081 in the election.
Civil defence in wartime
Morris was chosen as an AldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Swansea and became a Justice of the Peace
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...
on the local bench in 1939. As chairman of Swansea A.R.P.
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
committee in 1941, he was presented to the King
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Queen
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
when they visited Swansea. At the end of July he was appointed Deputy Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence in the Wales Region. He was also made President of the Railway Clerk's Association in 1943 (a post he held for ten years, including after the merger in which it became the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association is a trade union for "white collar" workers in the transport industry in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland...
), and served as Deputy Mayor of Swansea from 1944 to 1945.
As the war came to an end, Morris resigned his Civil Defence post, in order to fight for election in Swansea West in the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. Although reports during the campaign suggested that the sitting member felt his campaign was successful, on polling day Morris was returned with a majority of 5,009.
Railway nationalisation
Morris made his maiden speechMaiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
in November 1945, urging that the Government persuade both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to discard the atomic bomb
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
. He backed a rebel amendment to the loyal address in reply to the King's Speech
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
in November 1946, opposing the operation of conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
in peace-time., although he welcomed the nationalisation
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of the railways, saying that the big four railway companies had "brought their difficulties on themselves by their stubborn neglect of the public interest".
In February 1947, Morris again broke the whip
Whip (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...
to oppose a government amendment which allowed civic restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks, and to support an amendment to prevent their sale in Wales. He opposed the National Service Bill in 1947 which continued civilian conscription, and then voted to support rebel amendments to restrict conscription to England only, or to remove Wales.
Railway finances
Morris suffered a reduction in his majority to 3,665 at the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. He pressed in the new Parliament for increased charges or subsidy to the railways in order to have industrial peace. In 1951 he criticised an opposition motion which called for increased railway charges to be annulled, arguing that the new charges on their own would not solve the problem. He stated that if the increased charges were rejected, then Labour members would recast the entire financial structure of the railway industry. At this time he was reckoned an ally of Herbert Morrison
Herbert Morrison
Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth, CH, PC was a British Labour politician; he held a various number of senior positions in the Cabinet, including Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.-Early life:Morrison was the son of a police constable and was born in...
in the Labour Party.
In opposition
At the 1951 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
Morris' majority was again reduced to 2,160. He criticised the new Conservative Government's approach to railways, describing the Transport Bill introduced in 1952 as giving the Minister powers that would "make him the virtual dictator of transport" and "the Führer of British transport". He carried his opposition through the Bill's Parliamentary stages and after it had come into force he said he believed it had been prompted by the Government's need to repay a political debt to the Road Haulage Association. Morris pledged that a Labour government would renationalise road haulage when it got the opportunity.
Morris was the lead speaker for the opposition in a debate on the tinplate industry in January 1953, in which he called for a full-time Minister for Wales instead of it being one of the responsibilities of the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
. In September 1953 he brokered a solution to a dispute between Swansea market meat traders and the Ministry of Food over the distribution of 30 sides of fat beef. In 1954 he was one of five Members of Parliament to tour British colonial territories in the far east.
Marginal seat
After a minor boundary revision, Morris had a difficult fight at the 1955 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
in which for the first time his opponent was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
without affiliation to the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party may mean:Active parties:*National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party *National Liberal Party **National Liberal Youth...
. The redevelopment of Swansea town centre was reckoned to help the Conservatives, although some large council housing estates had been built. Morris was chosen as Mayor of the town shortly before the election, and on polling day he retained his seat with the slender majority of 1,021.
As Mayor of Swansea, Morris politely deferred to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
which was applying for recognition as the capital of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He became increasing interested in local government issues, especially finance, and in 1957 criticized the block grant system for neglecting education funding.
Swansea Castle
In April 1957 Morris was ordered to pay £1,350 damages to a pedestrian whom he had knocked down on a zebra crossingZebra crossing
A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing used in many places around the world. Its distinguishing feature is alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface, from which it derives its name. A zebra crossing typically gives extra rights of way to pedestrians.The use of zebra...
while driving his car. Morris remained an active member of Swansea council and in July 1957 as chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, he pressed the Minister of Works to remove Swansea Castle
Swansea Castle
Swansea Castle was founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1106 as the caput of the lordship of Gower, in Swansea, Wales.-History:The original castle seems to have been a sub-rectangular/oval enclosure overlooking the River Tawe on the east, surrounded on the north, west and south sides by a larger...
from the list of ancient monuments. He argued that the castle was a "shambles" and that the council did not have the money to pay for its repair, but redevelopment of the site was in the town's interests. In 1958 he was made a Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the County Borough of Swansea.
Defeat
For the 1959 general electionUnited 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...
, Morris' seat was one of most high-profile marginal seats in the country. He had Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
to open his campaign, and attacked the Conservative Government for increasing unemployment. However, the Conservatives also had high-profile support including from Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
. Local people were thought to be against nationalisation and Swansea Council had embarked on a controversial plan of comprehensive education
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
to which Morris was tied by virtue of his high rank within the council leadership. An energetic young Conservative candidate, Hugh Rees
Hugh Rees
Hugh Rees, FRICS was a British chartered auctioneer and surveyor, and politician. After a single term as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament, he went on to have several notable public appointments....
defeated Morris by 403 votes.
Morris remained Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Swansea County Borough Council. Immediately after the election one Labour Alderman moved a motion protesting against remarks by Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
who had questioned the sanity of people who intended to vote for the Labour Party. Morris argued that as Montgomery "had had the grace to apologise, the committee should have equal grace to accept the apology".
National Assistance Board
In early 1960 Morris was appointed to the Western Area Board of the British Transport Commission, and announced that he would not stand to try to regain his seat in Parliament. At the end of the year, he was also appointed to the National Assistance Board, and was reappointed for a further term two years later. In January 1965 he was promoted to be Deputy Chairman of the Board. When the National Assistance Board was replaced by the Supplementary Benefits Commission in 1966, Morris retained his position; he was also a member of the council of University College, SwanseaSwansea University
Swansea University is a university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Swansea University was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it changed its name to the University of Wales Swansea following structural changes...
.