The Reverend
Gordon Lang
Member of Parliament
for Oldham
In office
1929–1931
Serving with James Wilson
Preceded byWilliam Wiggins
Duff Cooper
Succeeded byAnthony Crommelin Crossley
Hamilton Kerr
Member of Parliament
for Stalybridge and Hyde
In office
1945–1951
Preceded byHorace Trevor-Cox
Succeeded byFred Blackburn
Personal details
Born(1893-02-25)25 February 1893
Monmouth, Wales
Died20 June 1981(1981-06-20) (aged 88)
Chepstow
Political partyLabour
Alma materCheshunt College
ProfessionMinister of religion

Gordon Lang (25 February 1893 – 20 June 1981) was a Welsh Congregationalist minister and Labour Party politician.[1][2] He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham from 1929 until 1931, and for Stalybridge and Hyde from 1945 until 1951. He was related to his namesake, Cosmo Gordon Lang, who was Archbishop of Canterbury at the time Gordon Lang was first elected to parliament.[3]

Lang was born in Monmouth, and attended the town's grammar school and Cheshunt College. He combined his pastoral work with political activity including being the honorary secretary of the United Europe Movement and a leading member of the Proportional Representation Society.

MP for Oldham

In 1929 he was nominated as one of two Labour candidates for the two-seat Oldham constituency along with James Wilson.[1][4] The general election saw a large swing to the Labour Party, and Lang and Wilson were elected, unseating the two sitting members (one Conservative and one Liberal.)[5]

Following the collapse of the second minority Labour Government and the formation of a National Government, a further general election was held in 1931.[6] Lang and Wilson defended their seats against two National Government candidates, but were heavily defeated.[7] Lang stood at Oldham again at the next general election in 1935, but failed to regain the seat for Labour.[8]

MP for Stalybridge and Hyde

In 1937, Philip Dunne, the Conservative MP for Stalybridge and Hyde retired due to ill health. Lang was chosen to contest the ensuing byelection, which was a straight fight with Horace Trevor-Cox, Conservative and National Government candidate.[9] Lang came close to winning the seat, reducing the Conservatives' majority from the 1935 general election of 5,081 votes to just 334.[10]

With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, elections were postponed. It was not until 1945 that another general election was held. Lang and Trevor-Cox were again the candidates of the Labour and Conservative parties respectively, joined by a Liberal candidate, Donald Burden.[11] The 1945 general election resulted in a Labour landslide victory, where the first majority Labour government was formed, and Lang was comfortably elected with a majority of 4,370 votes.[12] He retained the seat at the next general election in 1950.[13] The result of the election was a reduced Labour majority, and another general election was called in 1951 to increase it. Lang announced that he would not contest the election due to ill health, and retired from the House of Commons.[14]

After politics

Lang continued in his ministry, and was appointed chaplain to the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.[2] He died at his home in Chepstow in June 1981, aged 88.[2][15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Lancashire Seats. Five Candidates At Oldham". The Times. 18 May 1929. p. 7.
  2. 1 2 3 "Obituary: Rev Gordon Lang". The Times. 24 June 1981. p. 16.
  3. ↑ The Times House of Commons 1929. London: The Times Office. 1929. p. 54.
  4. ↑ "General Election: Nominations". The Times. 21 May 1929. p. 8.
  5. ↑ "Lancashire Seats. Disappointed Liberals". The Times. 1 June 1929. p. 6.
  6. ↑ "Lancashire Seats. Clear Issue At Oldham". The Times. 19 October 1931. p. 17.
  7. ↑ "The General Election First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. 28 October 1931. p. 6.
  8. ↑ "General Election: List Of Nominations". The Times. 5 November 1935. p. 8.
  9. ↑ "Party Activity At Stalybridge. The Defence Issue". The Times. 7 April 1937. p. 8.
  10. ↑ "By-Election Results". The Times. 30 April 1937. p. 8.
  11. ↑ "Labour Hopes At Stockport. Effect Of Liberal Vote. Predominance Of Women". The Times. 3 July 1945. p. 8.
  12. ↑ "The New House Of Commons. List Of Members, Constituencies And Parties". The Times. 10 August 1945. p. 8.
  13. ↑ "Conservative Hopes In Cheshire. Local Election Pointer". The Times. 14 February 1950. p. 5.
  14. ↑ "News in Brief". The Times. 24 June 1981. p. 26.
  15. ↑ "Deaths". The Times. 28 April 1951. p. 4.
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