Morgan Phillips facts for kids

Morgan Walter Phillips (born June 18, 1902 – died January 15, 1963) was a British politician. He started his career working in a coal mine and was active in trade unions. He later became the main leader, called the General Secretary, of the Labour Party in Britain. He played a big part in two of the party's election wins.

His Early Life

Morgan Phillips was born in a place called Aberdare, in Glamorgan, Wales. He was one of six children. He grew up in Bargoed and left school when he was just 12 years old. After leaving school, he began working at a coal mine, but not underground. He worked on the surface.

When he was 18, Morgan Phillips joined the Labour Party in Caerphilly. He became the secretary for the party in Bargoed from 1923 to 1925. He also led a local coal workers' group from 1924 to 1926. He was able to go to the Central Labour College in London for two years. There, he studied important subjects like economics and society.

Rising in the Labour Party

After his studies, Morgan Phillips stayed in London. He became the secretary for the Labour Party in West Fulham from 1928 to 1930. Later, he worked in Whitechapel from 1934 to 1937. During this time, he also became a local councillor in Fulham from 1934 to 1937.

In 1937, he started working at the Labour Party's main office. He first worked as an officer who helped spread the party's message. Then, from 1941, he led the party's research team. He quickly moved up and became the party's secretary in 1944. This role was later officially called the General Secretary in 1960.

Changing the Labour Party

Morgan Phillips made big changes to how the Labour Party was organized. He wanted the party to appeal to more kinds of people, not just traditional workers. He helped the party win elections in 1945 and 1950. These wins saw more professionals, not just trade union members, become Members of Parliament.

He believed the party should understand that middle-class people wanted things like wealth, owning their own homes, and free time. He also warned against focusing too much on nationalizing (when the government takes control of industries).

After the Labour Party lost the election in 1955, some people blamed Phillips and the party's organization. One report said the party's organization was like an "old-fashioned bicycle in a jet age." This meant it was very outdated.

Later Years and Legacy

However, Morgan Phillips's reputation improved during the 1959 election campaign, even though the party lost again. His daily meetings with reporters were very successful. He understood journalists well and gave clear, helpful answers.

After the 1959 defeat, he clearly explained what went wrong. He also suggested good ideas for the future. Many of these ideas were in his paper, Labour in the Sixties (1960). This paper helped set the stage for the Labour Party to return to power in 1964. He also wrote other books and pamphlets.

Morgan Phillips was also a key person in the international Labour movement. He led many meetings of the International Socialist Committee starting in 1944. He was the chairman of the Socialist International from when it started in 1948 until 1957.

In August 1960, at the peak of his career, he had a stroke. He retired as General Secretary in 1961 and passed away in early 1963.

His Family

Morgan Phillips met Norah Lusher when they were both involved in the Labour Party in Fulham. They got married in 1930. Norah later became Baroness Phillips. They had a son and a daughter.

Their daughter, Gwyneth Dunwoody, became a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party. She served in Parliament for a long time, from 1964 until she died in 2008. She married John Dunwoody, who also became a Labour Member of Parliament. Their daughter, Tamsin Dunwoody, was a member of the National Assembly for Wales from 2003 to 2007.

Legacy

The Labour History Archive and Study Centre at the People's History Museum in Manchester keeps Morgan Phillips's papers from his time as General Secretary.