William Paling
Encyclopedia
William Thomas Paling was a British
Labour Party
politician.
Born in Marehay, Ripley, Derbyshire
, Paling was the son of George Paling, a coalminer, from Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
. At the age of 14 he started work in the local colliery before winning a scholarship to the Central Labour College
in London. At the college he studied economics, industrial history and sociology. He also began his association with Labour politics. He returned to the coalfields where he became a checkweighman. In 1928 he was elected to the West Riding County Council, holding the seat until his election to parliament.
Paling made his first attempt to enter parliament at Burton upon Trent
, where he stood unsuccessfully at the general elections of 1929
and 1931
. Throughout the 1930s he was active in the miners' trade unions.
At the 1945 general election
Paling was elected to the House of Commons as member of parliament
for Dewsbury
. He was sponsored by the National Union of Minbeworkers and used his position in parliament to promote mine and industrial safety. His brother, Wilfred Paling
, was also a Labour MP and held positions as Minister of Pensions and then Postmaster General
in the labour Government of 1945–1951.
Paling was re-elected at Dewsbury in 1950
, 1951
and 1955
. In 1957 he was making a visit to the British Army of the Rhine
to examine the conditions of national servicemen when he was involved in an air accident. The resulting neck injury led to his retirement at the 1959 general election
.
Paling had a long retirement, dying in April 1992, aged 99.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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...
politician.
Born in Marehay, Ripley, Derbyshire
Ripley, Derbyshire
Ripley is a town in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire in England.- Earliest history :Not much information is available as to when Ripley was founded, but it existed at the time of the Domesday Book, when it was held by a man called Levenot....
, Paling was the son of George Paling, a coalminer, from Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. At the age of 14 he started work in the local colliery before winning a scholarship to the Central Labour College
Central Labour College
The Central Labour College was a British higher education institution supported by trade unions. It functioned from 1909 to 1929.The college was formed as a result of the Ruskin College strike of 1909. The Plebs' League, which had been formed around a core of Marxist students and former students of...
in London. At the college he studied economics, industrial history and sociology. He also began his association with Labour politics. He returned to the coalfields where he became a checkweighman. In 1928 he was elected to the West Riding County Council, holding the seat until his election to parliament.
Paling made his first attempt to enter parliament at Burton upon Trent
Burton (UK Parliament constituency)
Burton is a county 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.-Boundaries:...
, where he stood unsuccessfully at the general elections of 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
and 1931
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...
. Throughout the 1930s he was active in the miners' trade unions.
At 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...
Paling was elected to the House of Commons 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,...
for Dewsbury
Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Dewsbury is a 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...
. He was sponsored by the National Union of Minbeworkers and used his position in parliament to promote mine and industrial safety. His brother, Wilfred Paling
Wilfred Paling
Wilfred Paling was a British Labour politician. He was born at Marehay, near Ripley, Derbyshire, one of eight children of a coalminer. Paling left Ripley Elementary School at the age of 13, and entered casual employment with local plumbing and building companies...
, was also a Labour MP and held positions as Minister of Pensions and then Postmaster General
Postmaster General
A Postmaster General is a postmaster responsible for an entire mail distribution organization . The term may refer to:* Postmaster General of the United Kingdom* The head of the Hongkong Post...
in the labour Government of 1945–1951.
Paling was re-elected at Dewsbury in 1950
United 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...
, 1951
United 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...
and 1955
United 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 1957 he was making a visit to the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
to examine the conditions of national servicemen when he was involved in an air accident. The resulting neck injury led to his retirement at the 1959 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...
.
Paling had a long retirement, dying in April 1992, aged 99.