Ben Parkin

Benjamin Theaker Parkin (21 April, 1906 – 3 June, 1969) was a British teacher and politician who served as Member of Parliament for Paddington North.

Early career

Parkin was educated at Wycliffe College, from which he went to Lincoln College, Oxford University. He also studied at Strasbourg University, and became a teacher. By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, he was on the staff of his old college; he left to serve in the Royal Air Force as Flight-Lieutenant.

Parliament

Immediately after the end of the war, Parkin was elected to Parliament for the Labour Party at the 1945 general election, becoming the first ever Labour MP for Stroud and Thornbury. He was on the left of the party and was part of a delegation of Labour MPs who met Joseph Stalin in 1947; when he voted against the Ireland Bill, he was warned by the Chief Whip against his conduct.

Paddington MP

Parkin lost his seat by only 28 votes in the 1950 general election, and failed to regain it in the 1951 election. He was chosen to replace William Field, who had resigned as MP for Paddington North following conviction for importuning, and won the resulting by-election. He made another visit to the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China in 1954.

In 1956 he made the observation that, when telling the Chinese that he represented Paddington, they had responded by saying "That is where the Church owns the brothels, isn't it?"; Parkin pointed out this had a grain of truth. He was strongly in favour of removing street prostitution and also campaigned against drug abuse in the constituency.

Rachman

Parkin's most prominent campaign was over housing conditions. He was vocal in calling attention to the misdeeds of property magnate Peter Rachman, and others like him, calling for a system of licensing of private landlords. Parkin openly suspected that Rachman's reported death was merely a ploy to escape further scrutiny. He took up other housing issues including overcharging by Westminster City Council when it took over local council housing in 1965.

Death

Parkin died suddenly in his car while visiting his son's school in West London.

References

*M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
*Obituary, "The Times", 4 June 1969.