James Henry Thomas

James ('Jimmy') Henry Thomas, (October 3, 1874 - January 21, 1949) was a British trade unionist and Labour politician. He was involved in a political scandal involving budget leaks.

Early career and Trade Union activities

Thomas was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, the illegitimate son of a young unmarried mother. He was raised by his grandmother and began work at twelve years of age, soon starting a career as a railway worker. He became an official of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and, in 1913, helped organize the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR, now part of the RMT) from the amalgamation of several smaller unions. Thomas became its general secretary in 1917 and presided over the successful rail strike of 1919. In 1921, Thomas played a leading role in the Black Friday crisis, in which rail and transport unions failed to come to the aid of the miners, who were facing wage reductions. Before the general strike of 1926 Thomas was asked by the TUC to negotiate with the Conservative government of Stanley Baldwin, but the talks proved abortive and the strike went ahead regardless.

Political career

Thomas began his political career as a Labour Party local councillor for Swindon. He was elected to Parliament in 1910 as the member for Derby, replacing Richard Bell. He was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies in the incoming Labour government of 1924 under Ramsay MacDonald. In the second Labour government of 1929 Thomas was made Lord Privy Seal with special responsibility for employment. He became Secretary of State for the Dominions in 1930 and retained that position in Ramsay MacDonald's controversial National Government (1931-1935). As a result he was expelled from the Labour Party and the NUR. For the first few months of the National Government in 1931 he also served as Colonial Secretary once more.

Thomas served as Secretary of State for the Colonies once more from 1935 until May 1936, when he was forced to resign from politics. It was revealed that he had been entertained by stock exchange speculators and had dropped heavy hints as to tax changes planned in the budget. For example, while playing golf, he shouted "Tee up!", which was taken as a suggestion that the duties on Tea were to rise.

Thomas died in London in 1949. His son Leslie Thomas became a Conservative Member of Parliament.

Further reading

*"J. H. Thomas: A Life for Unity" by Gregory Blaxland (1964).

External links

* [http://www.railwaywomen.co.uk/jimmythomas.html A short online biography of Jimmy Thomas.]