Ben Tillett

Ben Tillet (September 11, 1860 - January 27, 1943) was a British trade union leader and politician. Tillett was born in Bristol and began his working life as a sailor, before travelling to London and taking up work as a docker.

Political Career

Tillett was a member of the Fabian Society and a founding member of the Independent Labour Party, but subsequently joined the Social Democratic Federation instead. Tillett began a political career as an alderman on the London City Council from 1892 to 1898 and was a Labour Party repsesentative in the Parliment from 1917 to 1924 and again between 1929 and 1931. Although noted as a socialist in his early career, Tillett afterwards moved to the right and courted controversy in the labour movement through his outspoken support of Britain's involvement in the First World War. His autobiography Memories and Reflections was published in 1931.

Related Topics:
Fabian Society - Independent Labour Party - Social Democratic Federation - London City Council - 1892 - 1898 - Labour Party - 1917 - 1924 - 1929 - 1931 - First World War

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