Alfred Waterson

Alfred Edward Waterson (5 August 1880, Derby – 25 November 1964) was a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He was the first Co-operative Party MP.

Waterson was a railwayman and activist in his trade union. He served as a town councillor.

Although the Co-operative Party put up several candidates for the first time at the 1918 general election, only one met with success. Waterson was elected as MP for the Kettering seat. He took the Labour whip in Parliament, ahead of any decision of Co-operative Congress to progress a formal alliance with the Labour Party.

Waterson was defeated at the 1922 general election. He became a national organiser of the Co-operative Party, serving until 1945. He contested he Nottingham Central by-election in 1930, and stood in Nottingham Central at the 1931 general election, coming a distant second in each case.

External links

* [http://www.hegemonpress.co.uk/plp/waterstonCoopMP.jpg"Co-operative News" article on Waterson's election]

References

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*cite book |last=Rosen |first=Greg |authorlink= Greg Rosen |title=Serving the People: Co-operative Party History from Fred Perry to Gordon Brown |origdate= |origyear=|edition= |year=2007 |publisher= Co-operative Party |location=London|id= ISBN 978-09549161-4-5