Ernest Young

Ernest James Young (28 July 1880 [1] – 21 October 1953) was a Liberal politician. He was a Councillor in Portslade and Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough East for one term in the 1930s. He was the first Headmaster of Harrow County School for Boys, Harrow, Middlesex from 1911 to 1919.[2]

For other people named Ernest Young, see Ernest Young (disambiguation).

Ernest Young
Young circa 1917
Member of Parliament
for Middlesbrough East
In office
27 October 1931 – 25 October 1935
Preceded byEllen Wilkinson
Succeeded byAlfred Edwards (politician)
Personal details
Born(1880-07-28)28 July 1880
Sussex, England
Died21 October 1953(1953-10-21) (aged 73)
Hove, England
Political partyLiberal

Background

He was born in Sussex, a son of Trayton Young. He was educated privately. He started his career working on a farm. He then became a Builder.[3] In 1908 he married Emily Phoebe Terry of Portslade.[4] During World War One he served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers.[3] Phoebe died in 1919 aged 39. He became a lecturer, writer and journalist.[5] His published works included 'Speech Building'.[3]

Political career

Young started his parliamentary career in 1917 when he was adopted as prospective Liberal candidate for the newly created division of Hammersmith South. However he did not contest the 1918 general election. He was elected to Portslade-by-Sea Urban District Council.[3] He ran unsuccessfully for Parliament as the Liberal candidate at Jarrow in 1922[6] and at Rossendale in 1923 and 1924.[7] He also ran in the Scottish constituency of Bothwell in Lanarkshire in March 1926,[8] and in Middlesbrough East in 1929.

In 1931 an economic crisis led to the formation of a National Government led by Labour prime minister Ramsay MacDonald which was initially supported by the Conservative and Liberal parties. Young was elected as Liberal MP for Middlesbrough East at the 1931 general election as a supporter of the government and a member of the official Liberal party led by Sir Herbert Samuel, defeating the well-known local Labour MP, Ellen Wilkinson in a straight fight. Samuel and the Liberals, although agreeing to go into the 1931 general election supporting the government became increasingly concerned about the government's abandonment of the traditional Liberal policy of Free Trade and worried about the predominance of the Conservatives in the coalition, soon withdrew from the National Government. Some Liberals, led by Sir John Simon remained in the government and became known as the Liberal Nationals. Young refused to join this group and stuck with the Samuelite Liberals.

At the 1935 general election therefore, the coalition mantle had passed from Young to the Conservative candidate, Chetwynd-Talbot. In an election where the main fight was between the National Government and a revived Labour Party, Young lost his seat to Labour candidate Alfred Edwards who narrowly beat off the National government challenge. Young finished a poor third place in a three-cornered contest.

Young remained active in the Liberal Party, and was their election agent in Worthing in the 1945 general election.[9] He died in Hove in 1953 aged 73.[1]

Electoral record
General election 1922: Jarrow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert John Wilson 17,208 53.9 +14.9
Unionist Charles Harrie Innes-Hopkins 10,166 31.9 new
Liberal Ernest James Young 4,522 14.2 −46.8
Majority 7,042 22.0 n/a
Turnout 31,896 82.2 +27.2
Registered electors 38,808
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +30.9
General election 1923: Rossendale [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Robert Waddington 11,362 37.6 -5.0
Liberal Ernest James Young 9,592 31.8 +10.9
Labour Norman Angell 9,230 30.6 -5.9
Majority 1,770 5.8 -0.3
Turnout 30,184 83.8 -1.2
Unionist hold Swing -8.0
General election 1924: Rossendale[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Robert Waddington 12,836 41.7 +4.1
Labour James Bell 9,951 32.4 +1.8
Liberal Ernest James Young 7,958 25.9 -5.9
Majority 2,885 9.3 +3.5
Turnout 30,745
Unionist hold Swing
Bothwell by-election, 1926[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Sullivan 14,830 59.7 +3.4
Unionist Alexander Morrice Mackay 8,740 35.2 −8.5
Liberal Ernest James Young 1,276 5.1 new
Majority 6,090 24.5 +11.9
Turnout 24,846 74.2 −5.1
Registered electors 33,505
Labour hold Swing +6.0
General election 1929: Middlesbrough East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ellen Wilkinson 12,215 41.3 +2.8
Liberal Ernest James Young 9,016 30.6 +3.8
Unionist John Wesley Brown 8,278 28.1 -6.6
Majority 3,199 10.7 +6.9
Turnout 29,509 80.8 -2.9
Labour hold Swing -0.5
General election 1931: Middlesbrough East [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest James Young 18,409 60.4 +29.8
Labour Ellen Wilkinson 12,080 39.6 -1.7
Majority 6,329 20.8 31.5
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +15.7
General election 1935: Middlesbrough East [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Edwards 12,699 44.0 +4.4
Conservative Benjamin Chetwynd-Talbot 12,632 43.7 new
Liberal Ernest James Young 3,565 12.3 -48.1
Majority 67 0.3 n/a
Labour gain from Liberal Swing n/a

References
  1. FreeBMD
  2. May: History of the Harrow County School for Boys 1975
  3. The Liberal Year Book 1929
  4. The Liberal Year Book 1935
  5. The Times House of Commons, 1931; Politico’s Publishing 2003, p48
  6. Craig, op cit p345
  7. Craig op cit p228
  8. The Times, 18 March 1926
  9. Worthing Herald, 8 June 1945
  10. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  11. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  12. The Times, 29 March 1926
  13. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, 1969 p195
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