Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin facts for kids
Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin was a British politician from the Labour Party. He was born on November 14, 1889, and passed away on May 11, 1972. He was known for his important work in planning new towns and improving housing in Britain.
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Early Life and Political Start
Lewis Silkin was born in 1889. His parents, Abraham and Fanny Silkin, were Litvak Jews who came from Lithuania to live in the East End of London. His family was not wealthy. His father cleaned at the Synagogue, taught Hebrew, and sold fruit.
Lewis became a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer. He even started a law firm called Lewis Silkin LLP with his brother, Joseph. This firm still exists today!
In 1925, Lewis Silkin became a member of the London County Council (LCC). This council helped manage London. He led committees focused on town planning, housing, and public health. He worked hard to make sure people had good places to live.
Member of Parliament and Minister
In 1936, Lewis Silkin was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Peckham. This meant he represented the people of Peckham in the British Parliament.
After World War II, the country needed a lot of rebuilding. From 1945 to 1950, Lewis Silkin served as the Minister of Town and Country Planning in the government led by Clement Attlee. In this role, he was in charge of planning how new towns would be built and how existing towns would be improved.
He helped create new towns like Stevenage. He appointed important people to help with this work, including Clough Williams-Ellis and Monica Felton. Monica Felton later became the first woman to chair the Stevenage Development Corporation.
Working for Global Peace
Lewis Silkin also believed in working together globally. He was one of the people who signed an agreement to create a meeting for drafting a world constitution. This led to the first-ever World Constituent Assembly, which worked on a Constitution for the Federation of Earth. This was a big step towards thinking about how countries could work together more closely.
Honors and Family
In 1950, Lewis Silkin was given a special honor. He was made a Baron Silkin, which meant he became a member of the House of Lords. This is a part of the British Parliament. He was also made a Companion of Honour in 1965, which is another high award.
Lewis Silkin had three sons. Two of them, Samuel and John, also became Members of Parliament and government ministers, just like their father. This shows how much his family was involved in politics.
