Frederick William 'Fred' Jowett (31 January 1864 – 1 February 1944) was a British Labour politician. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the main democratic socialist [1] political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Jowett received little formal education and at the age of eight was working at the local textile mill. In 1886 Jowett was promoted to overlooker and after attending evening classes in weaving and design at Bradford Technical College, was employed as a manager at the mill. Statistics Population: 293,717 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE165325 Administration Metropolitan borough: City of Bradford Metropolitan county: West Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: West Yorkshire Ambulance service: Yorkshire... West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England, corresponding roughly to the core of the West Riding of the traditional county of Yorkshire. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

As a young man Jowett read the works of William Morris and in 1886 he joined the Socialist League. This organisation ceased to exist after 1889 and so Jowett became involved with the Bradford Labour Union, a group formed to support strikers at the Manningham Mills in Bradford. Jowett was a Christian Socialist and was furious when local churchman criticised the strikers. Jowett responded by helping to form a Labour Church in the town. William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... This article is about the Socialist League groups which have existed in the United Kingdom. ... Photograph of Listers Mill during redevelopment in 2004. ... This article is about politics that is a conjunction of Christianity and Socialism. ...

In 1892 Jowett became the first socialist to be elected to Bradford City Council. A few months later Jowett founded a branch of the Independent Labour Party in Bradford. As a member of the council Jowett instigated several important reforms that were eventually imitated by other authorities. In 1904 Bradford became the first local authority in Britain to provide free school meals. Another successful campaign was the clearing of a slum area and replacing it with new houses. Jowett was also a supporter of reforming the 1834 Poor Law. He was elected as a Poor Law Guardian and attempted to improve the quality of the food given to the children in the Bradford Workhouse. The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... Former workhouse at Nantwich, dating from 1780 The Poor Law was the system for the provision of social security in operation in England and the rest of the United Kingdom from the 16th century until the establishment of the Welfare State in the 20th century. ...

In the 1900 general election Jowett was the Independent Labour Party candidate in Bradford West. His strong opposition to the Second Boer War may have cost him the election, as he only lost by 41 votes. The UK general election of 1900 was from 25th September - 24th October 1900. ... Bradford West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Combatants United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand Orange Free State, South African Republic Commanders Frederick Roberts, Lord Kitchener Christiaan Rudolf de Wet, Paul Kruger Casualties 22,000 6,500 Civilians killed [mainly Boers]: 24,000+ The Second Boer War, also known as the South African War (outside of South Africa...

With the Boer War over, Jowett comfortably won the seat in the 1906 general election. In the House of Commons Jowett attempted to persuade the government to introduce legislation that he had pioneered in Bradford, such as a school meals programme. Jowett supported David Lloyd George in his attempts to introduce Old Age Pensions in 1908. However, he criticised the inadequate sums involved and the use of the Means Test. During this period Jowett established himself as one of the leading left-wing figures in the House of Commons and in 1909 was elected Chairman of the Independent Labour Party. The UK general election of 1906 was from 12th January – 8th February 1906. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was a British statesman and the last member of the Liberal Party to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Jowett was re-elected in the 1910 general election. In the Socialist Review Jowett suggested a new system of government. He argued that the Cabinet system should be abolished and replaced with committees representing all political parties. Jowett believed this would give more power to individual MPs. This proposal was unpopular with the leaders who felt it would undermine their power if the Labour Party formed the next government. This controversy brought Jowett into conflict with the party leader, Ramsay MacDonald. In an attempt to maintain party unity, Jowett agreed to resign as party Chairman. The Socialist Review is the monthly magazine of the Socialist Workers Party (UK). ... James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866–9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...

Like many socialists Jowett opposed Britain's involvement in the First World War. He supported those who resisted conscription and demanded heavy taxation on wartime profits. Jowett also called on the British government to assume total control of the economy during the conflict. In the 1918 general election all those Labour MPs who opposed the war, including Jowett, Ramsay MacDonald, George Lansbury and Philip Snowden lost their seats. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1918 held on 14th December 1918, after the Representation of the People Act 1918. ... The Right Honourable George Lansbury (February 21, 1859 – May 7, 1940) was a British Labour politician, socialist, Christian pacifist, and newspaper editor. ... Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden (July 18, 1864 - May 15, 1937) was a British politician, and the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer. ...

In the 1922 general election Jowett was elected for Bradford East. When Ramsay MacDonald became Britain's first Labour Prime Minister in 1924, Jowett was appointed as First Commissioner of Works. One of his achievements as a minister was to obtain the money needed to repair and modernize 60,000 government built houses. The UK general election of 1922 was held on 15th November 1922. ... Bradford East will be a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings replaced the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851. ...

Jowett was defeated in the 1924 general election and while out of the House of Commons took the opportunity to consider the future policies of the Independent Labour Party. In 1926 he produced a report Socialism in Our Time which argued for a national minimum income with full socialism as a long-term objective. Ramsay MacDonald refused to endorse the report and now out of line with the ILP decided to resign from the party. The 1924 UK general election was held on 29th October 1924. ...

Jowett returned to the House of Commons at the 1929 general election, but MacDonald did not offer him a place in his government. Jowett opposed the formation of the National Government and as a result lost his seat in the 1931 general election. The following year Jowett and the Independent Labour Party disaffiliated from the Labour Party. The 1929 UK general election was held on 30th May 1929, and resulted in a hung parliament. ... The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. ...

The Independent Labour Party opposed Britain's involvement in the Second World War. He was very critical of the way the government ran the country during the conflict. Jowett claimed that the government's Equality of Sacrifice policy was just propaganda and pointed out that workers' wages were falling well behind increasing prices.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1924. Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Bradford West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election of 1906 was from 12th January – 8th February 1906. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1918 held on 14th December 1918, after the Representation of the People Act 1918. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Bradford East will be a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election of 1922 was held on 15th November 1922. ... The 1924 UK general election was held on 29th October 1924. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Bradford East will be a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The 1929 UK general election was held on 30th May 1929, and resulted in a hung parliament. ... The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. ... James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866–9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... James Keir Hardie (August 15, 1856 - September 26, 1915) was a Scottish-born socialist and labour leader, and the first Labour MP to be elected to the UK Parliament. ... The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden (July 18, 1864 - May 15, 1937) was a British politician, and the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... The Rt Hon. ... The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings replaced the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851. ... William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel (1867-1937) was a British politician who served as Secretary of State for India twice in the 1920s and as Lord Privy Seal in 1931. ...

Sources

• Who Was Who
• Schoolnet article

This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Whos Who is the name of a number of publications, generally containing concise biographical information on a particular group of people. ...