George Currie
George Welsh Currie (1870 – 3 June 1950) was a British politician.[ 1]
Born in Edinburgh , he was the son of the Reverend James Currie. Following education at the University of Edinburgh he entered business as an accountant, and travelled widely in the United States , Canada and South America. He became a strong supporter of Joseph Chamberlain and in 1906 became secretary of the Scottish branch of the Tariff Reform League .[ 1]
When the sitting Member of Parliament for Leith Burghs , Ronald Ferguson , was appointed Governor-General of Australia in 1914, Currie was chosen by the Scottish Unionist Party to attack the seat at the resulting by-election. He gained the seat, but only by a narrow majority of 16 votes.[ 1]
When the next general election was held at the end of 1918, there was a redistribution of parliamentary seats under the Representation of the People Act . Currie stood in the new Leith seat as a supporter of David Lloyd George 's coalition government, but lost fairly narrowly to the Liberal candidate, William Wedgwood Benn .
Currie did not return to parliament, but was appointed to a number of advisory boards. Over time he moved politically to the left, and in June 1935 was elected to the London County Council as a Labour Party councillor representing Wandsworth Central . He was president of the Chelsea Labour Party from 1936. He resigned from the council in 1939.[ 2] [ 1]
Outside politics Currie was active in the administration of the Church of England in the Dioceses of London and Guildford .[ 1]
He died at his home in Witley , Surrey , aged 79.[ 3] [ 1]
References
^ a b c d e f "Obituary: Mr. G. W. Currie Services To Church And State". The Times . 10 June 1950. p. 6.
^ Jackson, W Eric (1965). Achievement. A Short History of the London County Council . London: Longmans . p. 259.
^ "Deaths". The Times . 5 June 1950. p. 1.
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