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John Hamilton (Liverpool)

John Hamilton (2 September 1922 – 14 December 2006) was a British politician . He was a member of the Labour Party and Leader of Liverpool City Council from 1983 to 1986. Munici...

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John Hamilton (2 September 1922 – 14 December 2006) was a British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party and Leader of Liverpool City Council from 1983 to 1986.

Municipal life

Hamilton was a lifelong bachelor and worked as a schoolteacher. He was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, known as the Quakers, also serving as a magistrate. First elected to the council in 1958, Hamilton became Leader of the Labour Group in 1974 replacing Bill Sefton.[1] He led the council from 1976 to 1978, although with no majority he was often overturned by the Liberal and Conservative groups acting together. In 1978 Hamilton was briefly deposed as Labour group leader by Eddie Roderick when Labour lost power, but returned after a few weeks.

1980s leadership

He was a left-winger but was not a member of the Militant tendency[2] who dominated the Liverpool Labour group at the time. However, as Militant rose Hamilton was allowed to retain the leadership as a figurehead from the left-wing non-Militant members to disguise the fact that real power lay with leading Militants including Deputy Leader Derek Hatton.[3] Hamilton knew this, and remarked "When I die I will go to hell with Hatton because he will make it look like heaven."[4] Although a quietly spoken man, at all times Hamilton acted according to his principles: it was for this that he was most respected by all on the left of the Labour Party. Hamilton stood firm in the wake of his council's financial struggle with the government, as one newspaper reported at the time:

‘Council leader Mr John Hamilton said there was a massive resolve to carry on the fight, which was not “just about pounds, shillings and pence. At the end of the day every man, woman, and child in this country must say whether they are on the side of humanity or on the side of capitalism which is destroying humanity. This is the fight which we are in and which we will win,” he said.’[5]

After the Labour Party investigation had closed down the District Labour Party and began expulsions of Militant members of the City Council, Hamilton was replaced as Leader by Tony Byrne on 20 November 1986. Byrne was never a Militant member[6] but had jointly led the budget fight with the government with Militant, Hamilton and others.[7]

Later life

Junto con otros 46 miembros del consejo que habían votado a favor de un presupuesto ilegal, Hamilton fue sancionado y se le prohibió ejercer cargos públicos durante cinco años en 1987. Conservó algunos puestos, incluyendo su pertenencia al Consejo de Igualdad Racial de Liverpool. [ 8 ] Nunca fue expulsado del Partido Laborista y siguió siendo popular, convirtiéndose en Presidente del Partido Laborista de la circunscripción de Liverpool Broadgreen en 1987; [ 9 ] sin embargo, sus intentos de recuperar un escaño en el consejo fueron en vano. Entrevistado posteriormente, Hamilton no mostró arrepentimiento por sus acciones y declaró que volvería a hacerlo. [ 10 ] En 2005, Hamilton rechazó la oferta de ser nombrado Concejal Honorario por nominación del Grupo Laborista de Liverpool. [ 11 ]

Referencias

  1. ↑ Obituario de John HamiltonThe Telegraph , 21 de diciembre de 2006
  2. ↑ Jo Thomas, " El renacimiento de Liverpool: la pobreza nunca está lejos ", The New York Times , 17 de octubre de 1985.
  3. ↑ Hatton escribió en 1988: « [Hamilton] no le haría daño a una mosca y sabíamos que se consideraría inhumano si destituíamos a alguien que, para ser justos, había dedicado tantos años de su vida al partido. Así que le permitimos seguir siendo líder. Sabíamos que su presencia no nos impediría hacer nuestro trabajo en ningún momento. Sabíamos, además, que tenía su utilidad. Los moderados que pudieran sentirse inclinados a provocar disturbios se sentían seguros con Hamilton aparentemente al mando. Si votaba a favor de algo, les bastaba. Sabíamos que votaría de nuestra manera. No valía la pena que actuara de otra forma. » Véase Derek Hatton, « Un militante modelo », Sunday Times , 21 de febrero de 1988.
  4. ↑ E. Rex Makin, "No honres a los militantes", Liverpool Echo , 30 de septiembre de 2005, pág. 18.
  5. ↑ The Glasgow Herald, 26 de septiembre de 1985, “Los líderes del consejo de Liverpool seguirán luchando”, por Frances Horsburg
  6. ↑ Crick, Michael, La marcha de los militantes , pág. 242
  7. ↑ Alan Dunn, "La izquierda derroca a Hamilton como líder del Liverpool", The Guardian , 21 de noviembre de 1986.
  8. ↑ Erlend Clouston, "Organismo de carreras se disolverá en la polémica de la 'Vendetta'", The Guardian , 17 de marzo de 1993, pág. 5
  9. ↑ Alan Dunn, "Los reveses locales dejan a los diputados ante una posible derrota", The Guardian , 16 de noviembre de 1987.
  10. ↑ Paddy Shennan, "Rebeldes con causa", Liverpool Echo , 27 de septiembre de 2005, pág. 10.
  11. ↑ "Exlíder militante rechaza el honor de la ciudad", Liverpool Echo , 1 de septiembre de 2005, pág. 2.