Bernard Taylor, Baron Taylor of Mansfield facts for kids

Harry Bernard Taylor (born September 18, 1895, died April 11, 1991) was an important British politician. He started his life as a coal miner. Later, he became a Labour Party MP (a member of the UK's main law-making body) for 25 years. After that, he joined the House of Lords (another part of the UK Parliament) and served there for another 25 years. He was also known as Baron Taylor of Mansfield.

Life as a Miner

Harry Taylor grew up in a mining family in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire. When he was 14, he left school to work at the Sherwood Colliery coal mine. He worked at the coalface, which is the part of the mine where coal is dug out. After several years, he was promoted to be a checkweighman. This job involved making sure miners were paid fairly for the coal they dug. During the First World War, he was a conscientious objector, meaning he refused to fight because of his beliefs.

Starting in Politics

Harry Taylor was a member of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, a big union for miners. He also joined the Labour Party, which works to improve life for working people. In 1925, he was elected to the Mansfield-Woodhouse Urban District Council. This was a local government group that helped run the town.

From 1929, he worked as the Election Agent for the Labour Party in Mansfield. He helped organize the successful election campaigns for Charles Brown, who was the MP for Mansfield. Harry Taylor helped keep the Mansfield seat for Labour even during tough elections in 1931 and 1935. In 1935, he was also elected to the Nottinghamshire County Council. He became president of the Nottinghamshire Miners' Association in 1936–37.

Becoming an MP

The Labour MP for Mansfield, Charles Brown, passed away in late 1940. Harry Taylor was the clear choice to take his place. He was elected without anyone running against him in a special election (called a by-election) in April 1941.

During World War II, he worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ben Smith. Ben Smith was a minister in the government who worked on aircraft production.

Working in Government

After the war, the Labour Party formed a new government. Harry Taylor was very concerned about the well-being of miners. He became a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jim Griffiths, who was the Minister of National Insurance. This job usually meant helping the Minister with their work in Parliament. However, Harry Taylor also traveled with Jim Griffiths to visit people around the country.

In March 1950, after a general election, Harry Taylor was promoted. He became a Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Insurance. He held this important role until the Labour government left office in October 1951.

His Political Views

Even when the Labour Party was not in power, Harry Taylor continued to fight for important issues. He spoke out about getting fair payments for workers who were injured on the job. He also pushed for better welfare benefits to help people in need. He often talked about issues important to miners.

In the 1950s, there was a disagreement within the Labour Party. Harry Taylor supported the left-wing side, led by Aneurin Bevan. He was against Germany getting more weapons and against building the Hydrogen bomb. However, he did not agree with the Soviet Union's actions in Hungary in 1956. After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, he was one of the MPs who asked the U.S. President John F. Kennedy to remove certain missiles from the UK. This was a way to show a peaceful response after the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev removed missiles from Cuba.

Joining the House of Lords

In December 1965, Harry Taylor announced he would retire from being an MP at age 70. After the 1966 general election, it was announced that he would become a life peer. This meant he would become a member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. On June 1, 1966, he was given the title Baron Taylor of Mansfield. He had also received an award called the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) earlier that year. In 1973, Harry Taylor wrote a book about his life called "Uphill All the Way."

Work in the House of Lords

Harry Taylor continued to be active in politics even in the House of Lords. In 1971, he and another former miner MP, Lord Blyton, voted against a new law called the Industrial Relations Bill. This was a big step, as their party leaders did not want them to do this. He also voted to change laws about divorce.

In 1975, during the campaign about whether the UK should stay in the European Communities (which later became the European Union), Harry Taylor campaigned for the UK to leave. He was a very dedicated member of the House of Lords, even when he was in his 90s. For example, in 1988-89, he attended 133 out of 153 days when the House of Lords was meeting.