Thomas Ballantyne Martin
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ballantyne Martin (13 November 1901 – 28 January 1995) was a British
politician, stockbroker and journalist. After an early career as a private secretary he was unexpectedly elected as a Conservative
Member of Parliament
in a strongly Labour constituency. After standing up in Parliament for the local mining industry he opted out of defending his seat, and could not find election elsewhere; he then became a political journalist. After wartime service in intelligence, he supported Winston Churchill
's attempt to bring European unity and then became a stockbroker. A very clubbable man, he attracted interest in the 1990s as a rare survivor of the pre-Second World War Parliament.
in Northumberland
; his mother Robina was from Wooler
. He grew up in the borders area but went to Giggleswick School
boarding school, and later matriculated at Jesus College
, Cambridge
where he graduated with a Master of Arts.
in 1929. In October 1931, when the general election
was already underway, he was adopted as Conservative Party
candidate for the constituency of Blaydon in County Durham
; the seat had a Labour majority of 13,374 and was thought absolutely safe. However Martin was elected with a majority of 496 as part of the landslide election victory of the National Government; his win was the only time that the seat had been won by a Conservative.
came in December 1931 during bad tempered scenes. Angered by opposition Members jeering at Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
he was overheard by Labour MP Valentine MacEntee shouting out "Lie down, dog!"; MacEntee raised a point of order
and challenged him to repeat it outside. The Deputy Speaker Robert Bourne pronounced it unparliamentary
and urged Martin to restrain his exuberance.
on the Coal Mines Bill, urging a system where the mine owner had a guaranteed profit, while the miner had a guaranteed minimum wage, with additions according to the business done. He also endorsed a voluntary national levy on the coal trade in order to help exports. He accepted that other industries should not be sacrificed to help the coal trade, but urged that operating theatres be set up near to mines to help miners who had suffered industrial accidents.
Martin moved an amendment to the 1933 Budget to limit the tax on hydrocarbon oils to no more than 10%. The Government opposed his amendment and the House of Commons rejected it by 228 to 58. He also voted against the Government and in support of an amendment to remove the profits of Co-operative Societies from tax. He initially supported the National Government's efforts to help distressed areas, urging that the grants be continued until the Unemployment Act
replaced them, but by December 1934 was disappointed on behalf of himself and other younger supporters of the Government to find the latest proposals which would not help the basic industries. Martin stated that he could not go back to depressed areas in his constituency and tell them that the Government's policy was a solution to all their problems.
, but also visited Dachau. When he returned to Britain, Martin warned fellow Members of Parliament about the dangers of Nazism. He was one of 31 Members of Parliament to sign a letter endorsing an All-India Federation with provincial autonomy as a way forward of constitutional reform in India.
, Martin decided not to defend Blaydon, but was instead adopted as candidate for Camberwell North
in inner south London in May 1935. The sitting MP Arthur Bateman
had stepped down although at one stage considered standing for neighbouring Peckham
as an Independent candidate.
At the previous election, Camberwell North had produced a Conservative majority of 765, almost as small as at Blaydon. Martin joined the other Conservative candidates for Camberwell divisions in inviting Winston Churchill
to speak for them; but observers expected that the leading Labour personality Charles Ammon would succeed in regaining the seat he had lost four years previously. Martin was in the end beaten by nearly two to one, with a substantial majority of 5,777 against him.
, where he remained until 1940. He was also assistant editor of The Spectator
, becoming a regular houseguest of Lady Londonderry
and of the Astor family at Cliveden
. He was a liaison officer between the Foreign Office
and the BBC
and then volunteered for military service during the Second World War, becoming a Squadron Leader in the Middle East Intelligence Centre (part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
) from 1940 to 1943, then leaving the services to become adviser on public relations to the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Australia where he remained until the end of the war.
, Martin was the Conservative Party candidate in Houghton-le-Spring
where he was defeated by 21,866 votes. Martin then became secretary of the United European Movement
in 1947, working closely with Winston Churchill for a year before becoming Secretary of the British all-party delegation to the Congress of Europe
at The Hague
in 1948. There Churchill developed his support for European unity, an attitude of which Martin approved. Martin regretted that Churchill did not maintain his enthusiasm when he returned to government in 1951.
in 1949, but retained his interest in politics and contributed many letters to newspapers. In 1953 he married for the first time, Jean Bennett; they had two daughters. In 1964 Martin and Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes
reformed the Kit Cat Club as an attempt to restart an 18th century Whig dining club; it gathered a significant membership, many of whom entered public life (Dr Goodson-Wickes himself became a Member of Parliament). After his retirement from the Stock Exchange in 1974, Martin moved back to the borders area of Northumberland where he lived at Naworth Keep
and Dacre Castle
. He retained his membership of Pratt's
Club where he was said to be "in his element leading the conversation at the head of the table"; so welcome was he at the club that when he resigned his membership owing to the decreasing number of visits to London, the club proprietor the Duke of Devonshire
refused to accept it and waived the subscription in order to keep him.
In 1990 the Speaker of the House of Commons Bernard Weatherill
held a dinner in honour of the 23 remaining pre-war MPs at which Martin was one of the star guests; he was interviewed by the BBC afterwards. He appeared in a 1994 documentary on "Westminster at War" which interviewed the survivors of the era about what political life was like. He remained mentally alert but in his later years became physically infirm, which he recognised as "a downward glide" to a serene death.
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...
politician, stockbroker and journalist. After an early career as a private secretary he was unexpectedly elected as 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...
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,...
in a strongly Labour constituency. After standing up in Parliament for the local mining industry he opted out of defending his seat, and could not find election elsewhere; he then became a political journalist. After wartime service in intelligence, he supported Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's attempt to bring European unity and then became a stockbroker. A very clubbable man, he attracted interest in the 1990s as a rare survivor of the pre-Second World War Parliament.
Education
Martin was the son of Angus Martin, a surgeon from Forest HallForest Hall
Forest Hall is a village east of Benton in North Tyneside in the north of England.-Facilities:There are pubs, social clubs and a shopping centre with a variety of shops, take away food outlets and two restaurants. It has two supermarkets. One is Sainsbury's Local, which opened in November 2007...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
; his mother Robina was from Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
. He grew up in the borders area but went to Giggleswick School
Giggleswick School
Giggleswick School is an independent co-educational boarding school in Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire, England.- Early school :...
boarding school, and later matriculated at Jesus College
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where he graduated with a Master of Arts.
Election in Blaydon
During the 1920s Martin worked as a private secretary, and was on the staff of the Turkish Embassy in London as its English Secretary in 1928 and in 1930-31. He undertook a lecture tour of GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1929. In October 1931, when the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
was already underway, he was adopted as Conservative Party
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...
candidate for the constituency of Blaydon in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
; the seat had a Labour majority of 13,374 and was thought absolutely safe. However Martin was elected with a majority of 496 as part of the landslide election victory of the National Government; his win was the only time that the seat had been won by a Conservative.
Unparliamentary language
Martin's first recorded contribution in the chamber of the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
came in December 1931 during bad tempered scenes. Angered by opposition Members jeering at Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
he was overheard by Labour MP Valentine MacEntee shouting out "Lie down, dog!"; MacEntee raised a point of order
Point of order
A point of order is a matter raised during consideration of a motion concerning the rules of parliamentary procedure.-Explanation and uses:A point of order may be raised if the rules appear to have been broken. This may interrupt a speaker during debate, or anything else if the breach of the rules...
and challenged him to repeat it outside. The Deputy Speaker Robert Bourne pronounced it unparliamentary
Unparliamentary language
In a Westminster system, unparliamentary language is words or phrases that are deemed to be inappropriate for use in the House whilst it is in session. This includes, but is not limited to the suggestion of dishonesty or profanity. The most prohibited case is any suggestion that another member is...
and urged Martin to restrain his exuberance.
Mining industry
In Parliament, Martin concentrated on issues which affected the working lives of his mining constituents. In May 1932 he 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...
on the Coal Mines Bill, urging a system where the mine owner had a guaranteed profit, while the miner had a guaranteed minimum wage, with additions according to the business done. He also endorsed a voluntary national levy on the coal trade in order to help exports. He accepted that other industries should not be sacrificed to help the coal trade, but urged that operating theatres be set up near to mines to help miners who had suffered industrial accidents.
Martin moved an amendment to the 1933 Budget to limit the tax on hydrocarbon oils to no more than 10%. The Government opposed his amendment and the House of Commons rejected it by 228 to 58. He also voted against the Government and in support of an amendment to remove the profits of Co-operative Societies from tax. He initially supported the National Government's efforts to help distressed areas, urging that the grants be continued until the Unemployment Act
Unemployment Act 1934
The Unemployment Act 1934 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, reaching statue on 28 June 1934. It reduced the age at which a person entered the National Insurance scheme to 14 and made the claiming age 16 years. It also separated benefits earned by paying National Insurance and those...
replaced them, but by December 1934 was disappointed on behalf of himself and other younger supporters of the Government to find the latest proposals which would not help the basic industries. Martin stated that he could not go back to depressed areas in his constituency and tell them that the Government's policy was a solution to all their problems.
Germany
While a Member of Parliament, Martin visited Germany where he met leading Nazis Hitler, Goering and Goebbels; he was invited to a Nuremberg rallyNuremberg Rally
The Nuremberg Rally was the annual rally of the NSDAP in Germany, held from 1923 to 1938. Especially after Hitler's rise to power in 1933, they were large Nazi propaganda events...
, but also visited Dachau. When he returned to Britain, Martin warned fellow Members of Parliament about the dangers of Nazism. He was one of 31 Members of Parliament to sign a letter endorsing an All-India Federation with provincial autonomy as a way forward of constitutional reform in India.
1935 election
He was also much preoccupied with pushing forward a new constitution for the University of Durham. Preparing for the next general electionUnited 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...
, Martin decided not to defend Blaydon, but was instead adopted as candidate for Camberwell North
Camberwell North (UK Parliament constituency)
Camberwell North was a borough constituency located in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, in South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in inner south London in May 1935. The sitting MP Arthur Bateman
Arthur Leonard Bateman
Arthur Leonard Bateman was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. Born in London, he was privately educated before entering business as a sack manufacturer. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers and a Freeman of the City of London...
had stepped down although at one stage considered standing for neighbouring Peckham
Peckham (UK Parliament constituency)
Peckham was a borough constituency in South London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
as an Independent candidate.
At the previous election, Camberwell North had produced a Conservative majority of 765, almost as small as at Blaydon. Martin joined the other Conservative candidates for Camberwell divisions in inviting Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
to speak for them; but observers expected that the leading Labour personality Charles Ammon would succeed in regaining the seat he had lost four years previously. Martin was in the end beaten by nearly two to one, with a substantial majority of 5,777 against him.
Daily Telegraph journalist
After losing his seat, Martin returned to the Palace of Westminster the next year as a political correspondent of The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, where he remained until 1940. He was also assistant editor of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, becoming a regular houseguest of Lady Londonderry
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry DBE was a noted socialite and philanthropist in the United Kingdom between World War I and World War II.-Family:...
and of the Astor family at Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
. He was a liaison officer between the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and then volunteered for military service during the Second World War, becoming a Squadron Leader in the Middle East Intelligence Centre (part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
) from 1940 to 1943, then leaving the services to become adviser on public relations to the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Australia where he remained until the end of the war.
European unity
In the 1945 general electionUnited 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...
, Martin was the Conservative Party candidate in Houghton-le-Spring
Houghton-le-Spring (UK Parliament constituency)
Houghton-le-Spring was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983.Centred on the town of Houghton-le-Spring in the City of Sunderland, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
where he was defeated by 21,866 votes. Martin then became secretary of the United European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
in 1947, working closely with Winston Churchill for a year before becoming Secretary of the British all-party delegation to the Congress of Europe
Hague Congress (1948)
The Hague Congress was held in the Congress of Europe in Hague from 7–11 May 1948 with 750 delegates participating from around Europe as well as observers from Canada and the United States....
at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in 1948. There Churchill developed his support for European unity, an attitude of which Martin approved. Martin regretted that Churchill did not maintain his enthusiasm when he returned to government in 1951.
Later life
Martin developed his career by becoming a member of the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1949, but retained his interest in politics and contributed many letters to newspapers. In 1953 he married for the first time, Jean Bennett; they had two daughters. In 1964 Martin and Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes
Charles Goodson-Wickes
Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes is the Director General of Canning House, the London-based foundation dedicated to the promotion of Latin American and Iberian political and cultural issues in the United Kingdom....
reformed the Kit Cat Club as an attempt to restart an 18th century Whig dining club; it gathered a significant membership, many of whom entered public life (Dr Goodson-Wickes himself became a Member of Parliament). After his retirement from the Stock Exchange in 1974, Martin moved back to the borders area of Northumberland where he lived at Naworth Keep
Naworth Castle
Naworth Castle, also known as, or recorded in historical documents as "Naward", is a castle in Cumbria, England near the town of Brampton. It is adjacent to the A69 about two miles east of Brampton. It is on the opposite side of the River Irthing to, and just within sight of, Lanercost Priory...
and Dacre Castle
Dacre Castle
Dacre Castle is in the village of Dacre some south-west of Penrith, Cumbria .In 1307 William de Dacre was granted licence to crenellate his dwelling on the site. The present building is a pele tower rather than a castle which was built in the 14th century for protection against the Scots...
. He retained his membership of Pratt's
Pratt's
Pratt's is a gentlemen's club in London. It was established in 1857, with premises in a multi-storey town house in Park Place, off St James' Street. It takes its name from William Nathaniel Pratt, who lived there from 1841. Pratt was steward to the Duke of Beaufort, who called at the house with...
Club where he was said to be "in his element leading the conversation at the head of the table"; so welcome was he at the club that when he resigned his membership owing to the decreasing number of visits to London, the club proprietor the Duke of Devonshire
Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire
Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire KG, MC, PC , styled Lord Andrew Cavendish until 1944 and Marquess of Hartington from 1944 to 1950, was a British Conservative politician...
refused to accept it and waived the subscription in order to keep him.
In 1990 the Speaker of the House of Commons Bernard Weatherill
Bernard Weatherill
Bruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill, PC, DL, KStJ was a British Conservative Party politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons.-Tailor:...
held a dinner in honour of the 23 remaining pre-war MPs at which Martin was one of the star guests; he was interviewed by the BBC afterwards. He appeared in a 1994 documentary on "Westminster at War" which interviewed the survivors of the era about what political life was like. He remained mentally alert but in his later years became physically infirm, which he recognised as "a downward glide" to a serene death.