Arthur Creech Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Arthur Creech Jones
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 4 October 1946 – 28 February 1950
Preceded by	George Hall
Succeeded by	Jim Griffiths
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 1945–1946
Preceded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Succeeded by	Ivor Thomas
Member of Parliament for Shipley
In office 14 November 1935 – 23 February 1950
Preceded by	James Lockwood
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Hirst
Member of Parliament for Wakefield
In office 21 October 1954 – 15 October 1964
Preceded by	Arthur Greenwood
Succeeded by	Walter Harrison
Personal details
Born	(1891-05-15)15 May 1891
Died	23 October 1964(1964-10-23) (aged 73)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Profession	Civil servant

Arthur Creech Jones (born May 15, 1891 – died October 23, 1964) was a British politician and a leader in trade unions. He started his career working for the government. However, he was sent to prison during World War I because he refused to fight. This changed his career path.

He became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1935. He was very interested in matters concerning British colonies around the world. People even called him the "unofficial member of the Kikuyu" because of his focus on Africa. He later served in the government as a minister in charge of colonies. After losing his seat in 1950, he wrote and lectured about British colonies. He returned to Parliament in 1954. He was originally known as Arthur Jones, but he always used his middle name, Creech, in politics.

Arthur Creech Jones's Early Life and Education

Arthur Creech Jones was born in Bristol. His father worked as a printer. Arthur went to Whitehall Boys' School. When he was 13, he won a scholarship. This allowed him to study French, Math, and Commerce for an extra year.

After leaving school in 1905, he worked in a lawyer's office. He also prepared for a special exam to join the British Civil Service. This is a group of people who work for the government. After passing the exam, he worked for the War Office. Later, he joined the Crown Agents. This group represented British colonies and dominions in London. He also took evening classes to learn even more.

Getting Involved in Politics

In his free time, Jones joined political groups. He was active in the Liberal Christian League. This group connected him with important members of the Liberal Party. As he learned more about politics, he began to question his religious beliefs. He eventually left the Methodist church.

In 1913, he helped start the Camberwell Trades and Labour Council. He later became the honorary Secretary for the Dulwich branch of the Independent Labour Party (ILP). When World War I began, Jones became a pacifist. This means he believed that all war was wrong. He helped organize meetings against conscription, which is when people are forced to join the military. This happened in 1916.

Imprisonment During World War I

Arthur Creech Jones was called to join the military in the autumn of 1916. However, he refused to take part in any way. Because of this, he was not allowed to avoid military service. He was sent to prison in September 1916. He stayed there until April 1919.

While in prison, he used his time wisely. He read many books about history, politics, and economics. He also met other people in prison who would later become important members of the Labour Party. These connections would be helpful for his future career.

Becoming a Trade Union Leader

After leaving prison, Creech Jones could not go back to working for the government. Instead, he started researching prisons for the Labour Research Department. This group was funded by trade unions. A trade union is an organization that protects the rights of workers.

Later that year, he became the Secretary of the National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs. He also edited the union's newspaper. In 1922, his union joined with others to form the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). He was then promoted to be a national secretary. He also ran for local government in London in 1922. He became a representative on the Metropolitan Water Board. From 1921 to 1928, he was part of the London Labour Party executive committee.

Helping Workers Around the World

As part of his work for the TGWU, he traveled to the Ruhr Area in Germany in 1923. He went to see how the French occupation was affecting people. When he returned, he wrote a booklet about what he saw. He also helped train Clements Kadalie. Kadalie was from South Africa and was organizing a union there.

Creech Jones wrote another booklet called Trade Unionism To-day. It was published in 1928. He was also very involved with the Workers' Educational Association. This group helps educate working people. He also served as a Governor of Ruskin College, Oxford. This college was supported by trade unions.

Traveling and Entering Parliament

In the 1929 United Kingdom general election, Creech Jones ran as a Labour Party candidate. He tried to win the Heywood and Radcliffe area. After this, he left his job at the TGWU. He became the organizing secretary of the Workers' Travel Association (WTA). This group helped people working in factories and other industries take trips abroad.

He spent much of the next ten years traveling. He wrote about his journeys in Travel Log, the WTA's magazine. He visited many European countries, including Nazi Germany. After the Munich Agreement was signed, he used the WTA to help hundreds of Jewish people escape from Czechoslovakia.

Joining the Labour Party

When the National Government was formed, Creech Jones first joined the Socialist League. He tried to convince the Independent Labour Party to stay connected with the main Labour Party. When this effort failed, he left the ILP and joined the Labour Party directly.

At first, he didn't want to become a Member of Parliament. But seeing what was happening in Germany changed his mind. In the 1935 United Kingdom general election, he won the Shipley area as a Labour Party candidate. His win was helped because the votes for the Conservative Party were split between two candidates.

Serving as a Member of Parliament

As an MP, Creech Jones focused on issues in the British colonies, especially in Africa. In June 1936, he asked the government to encourage colonies to build technical schools. He suggested they follow the example of Uganda. The Labour Party chose him to be on the Colonial Office's Educational Advisory Committee in 1936. He served on this committee for nine years.

In 1937, he helped start the Trades Union Congress Colonial Affairs Committee. In 1940, he founded the Fabian Colonial Bureau. These groups worked on colonial issues.

Opening Up the Countryside

In 1939, Creech Jones introduced his own special law proposal. It was called the Access to Mountains Bill. He loved walking in the countryside. But he found that private landowners often blocked paths. His Bill wanted to open up mountains and moorland for everyone to enjoy.

Creech Jones brought together everyone who would be affected by the Bill. They agreed on some changes to the law. This compromise helped the Bill pass and become law.

Working with Ernest Bevin

When Ernest Bevin became the Minister of Labour in 1940, he chose Creech Jones as his special assistant. Creech Jones used his position to help improve conditions for people who refused to fight in the war. As the head of the Labour Party's committee on colonial issues, he helped shape the party's plans for colonies before the 1945 United Kingdom general election. In 1943, he became vice-chairman of a group studying higher education in West Africa. He visited the West African colonies and wrote a well-received report.

Serving in the Attlee Government

After the Labour Party won the 1945 election, Creech Jones was given a role in the government. He became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office. Some people wondered why he wasn't given an even more important job. In 1946, he was a representative at the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in London.

Creech Jones believed that colonies should eventually govern themselves. This idea was not popular with British settlers in some colonies. He had to be careful with his speeches when he visited places like Kenya. He also dealt with the difficult situation in Mandatory Palestine during its final years under British rule.

Becoming Colonial Secretary

Jones (left) speaking with Paramount Chief Nsefu at Fort Jameson during his 1949 tour of Northern Rhodesia

In October 1946, the minister in charge of the colonies, George Hall, moved to a different role. Creech Jones was then promoted to lead the Colonial Office. This meant he joined the Cabinet, which is the main decision-making group in the government. He also became a member of the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the Queen.

Challenges in Palestine and the West Indies

Creech Jones took over at a time when tensions were growing in Palestine. He often asked moderate Jewish leaders to help calm the situation. He was again a representative at the United Nations when they discussed Palestine. He told the UN that the British government planned to give up its control and remove its forces.

In September 1947, Creech Jones led a conference in Montego Bay about the British West Indies. They discussed bringing the British colonies in that area closer together. They also talked about the possibility of them forming a federation and gaining Dominion status. This would give them more independence. He later had to remove Oliver Baldwin as Governor of the Leeward Islands. Baldwin had made comments that upset local people.

Progress in Africa and Ceylon

In Africa, Creech Jones led a conference at Lancaster House for the African colonies in 1948. He issued a plan for local government in the Colonies. This plan confirmed the goal of giving colonies more self-rule. He also made progress in Ceylon. He introduced a government law to give Ceylon Dominion status and eventual independence.

This made him the first Colonial Secretary to grant independence to a 'non-white' colony. (India and Pakistan had become independent a year earlier, but that was handled by a different government department.) He also reorganized the Colonial Office itself. He wanted it to be ready for the new role he saw for it as colonies moved towards independence.

Losing His Parliament Seat

In the 1950 United Kingdom general election, the boundaries of Creech Jones's area, Shipley, were changed. He faced a strong challenge from the Conservative Party. He lost his seat by a very small number of votes, just 81, to Geoffrey Hirst. He was one of the most important government ministers to lose their seat in that election.

Out of Parliament, he spent more time with the Fabian Colonial Bureau. He led conferences and gave lectures for them. He also edited books of essays about colonial issues.

Trying to Return to Parliament

He also tried to get back into Parliament. When Sir Stafford Cripps left his seat in Bristol South East in 1950, Creech Jones was expected to win it. He was well-known and had family connections to the city. However, he lost the selection to Anthony Wedgwood Benn. In the 1951 United Kingdom general election, Creech Jones ran in Romford. But he was unable to win the seat back for Labour.

In the early 1950s, Creech Jones helped Seretse Khama and his uncle Tshekedi make peace. Khama had been sent away from Bechuanaland after marrying an Englishwoman. Creech Jones asked the government to let Khama return. He also led groups to the government from the Anti-Slavery Society. He was the vice-president of this society. He also led groups from the Africa Bureau. From 1952, he was the Chairman of the British Council of Pacific Relations.

Returning as Wakefield MP

Creech Jones got another chance to return to Parliament in 1954. This happened when Arthur Greenwood, the Labour MP for Wakefield, passed away. Creech Jones was chosen to take his place. He won the seat in the special election held in Wakefield.

He returned to the Labour Party's main team in Parliament. But he also continued his work outside of Parliament. In March 1955, he was appointed to the governing body of Queen Elizabeth House. This was an institution at Oxford University supported by the Colonial Office.

Later Years in Parliament

Even though he was almost 70 years old, Creech Jones was reappointed to the opposition's main team after the 1959 United Kingdom general election. In 1961, he signed a letter expressing concern about Britain joining the European Communities. He urged a meeting of Commonwealth countries to discuss the effects before Britain formally applied.

He left the main team in 1963. He had hoped to continue serving in Parliament. However, due to poor health, he had to announce his retirement in August 1964.

Death

Arthur Creech Jones passed away just eight days after the 1964 United Kingdom general election. In that election, Walter Harrison from the Labour Party succeeded him. Creech Jones was 73 years old when he died at Lambeth Hospital on October 23, 1964.