Robert Climie
Encyclopedia
Robert Climie was a Scottish
trade union
ist and Labour Party (UK)
politician.
Robert was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland on January 4, 1868. He was the son of bonnet
weaver Mary McGarvie and underground colliery fireman
, Robert Climie. He was educated at the local Board School and served his apprenticeship in engineering at the Britannia Works, were he continued to work as an journeyman
. Early in his career he became involved in trade union
activity and joined the Independent Labour Party
(ILP). Despite previously being a Volunteer Sergeant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers
, when he became involved in socialist politics he opposed the Boer War
and spoke out regularly against it at the ILP's outdoor meetings from 1899 - 1902. He was first elected as a local councillor for the ILP in 1905 and served for many years, with particular interest in public health
and housing.
As a nominee of Ayrshire
Trades Council, he was a member of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
’s Parliamentary Committee from 1910 to 1918 and from 1920 to 1923, and was Secretary to the Committee in 1914.
He was elected to Parliament
at the 1923 general election
as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Kilmarnock
, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1922
.
He was narrowly defeated at the 1924 general election
, but won the seat back again at the general election in May 1929
. However, he was already in poor health by this time and he died in office later that year, aged 61. He was survived by his wife, Jeannie McIldowie Meikle, herself an active Labour Party worker, six sons and a daughter.
He was an excellent speaker and formidable debater. In an obituary in the Kilmarnock Standard, 1929, he is described as...
In Kilmarnock, Scotland there is a street, "Climie Place" named in his memory.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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...
ist and Labour Party (UK)
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...
politician.
Robert was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland on January 4, 1868. He was the son of bonnet
Bonnet (headgear)
Bonnets are a variety of headgear for both sexes, which have in common only the absence of a brim. Bonnet derives from the same word in French, where it originally indicated a type of material...
weaver Mary McGarvie and underground colliery fireman
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, Robert Climie. He was educated at the local Board School and served his apprenticeship in engineering at the Britannia Works, were he continued to work as an journeyman
Journeyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
. Early in his career he became involved in 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...
activity and joined the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
(ILP). Despite previously being a Volunteer Sergeant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
, when he became involved in socialist politics he opposed the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and spoke out regularly against it at the ILP's outdoor meetings from 1899 - 1902. He was first elected as a local councillor for the ILP in 1905 and served for many years, with particular interest in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and housing.
As a nominee of Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
Trades Council, he was a member of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
Scottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
’s Parliamentary Committee from 1910 to 1918 and from 1920 to 1923, and was Secretary to the Committee in 1914.
He was elected to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
as 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,...
(MP) for Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilmarnock was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1922
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
.
He was narrowly defeated at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, but won the seat back again at the general election in May 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. However, he was already in poor health by this time and he died in office later that year, aged 61. He was survived by his wife, Jeannie McIldowie Meikle, herself an active Labour Party worker, six sons and a daughter.
He was an excellent speaker and formidable debater. In an obituary in the Kilmarnock Standard, 1929, he is described as...
...a small man of medium build, with dark hair and moustache, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He was moderate in all things, always hard-working in the labour cause and a lifelong supporter of Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
. Climie was teetotal although never formally attached to the temperance movementTemperance movementA temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
.
In Kilmarnock, Scotland there is a street, "Climie Place" named in his memory.
External links
- Photograph at National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom)
- Papers of Robert Climie at Glasgow Caledonian UniversityGlasgow Caledonian UniversityGlasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....