Stoker Edwards facts for kids

Walter James Edwards (1900 – 15 October 1964) was a British politician from the Labour Party. People knew him as Stoker Edwards or Wally Edwards. He worked hard for his community and served in the government.

Early Life and Work

Walter Edwards was born in Whitechapel, a part of the East End of London. When he was young, he worked briefly as a driver for goods. In 1918, he joined the Royal Navy. He worked as a stoker, which meant he helped keep the ship's engines running by tending to the fires. He served in the Navy until 1923.

After leaving the Navy, he became a docker. This meant he worked loading and unloading ships in the busy London docks. He joined the Labour Party, which is a political group in the UK. He also became part of a large workers' group called the Transport and General Workers' Union. This union helped people who worked in transport and other jobs. In 1937, he started working full-time for this union. From 1935 to 1939, he was the leader of the Labour Party in Whitechapel.

Serving in Parliament

When the Second World War started, Walter Edwards was called back to serve in the Navy. He rose to the rank of Leading Stoker. This was an important role in the Navy.

In 1942, while still serving in the Navy, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected by people to represent them in the UK government. He represented the area of Whitechapel and St Georges. He was the first person serving in the Royal Navy at his rank to become an MP.

Later, in 1950, the election areas changed. Walter Edwards was then elected for the new Stepney constituency. He continued to serve as an MP until he retired in 1964. From 1945 to 1951, he also held a special job called Civil Lord of the Admiralty. This meant he helped manage parts of the Royal Navy for the government.

Walter Edwards passed away on the same day as the 1964 general election.

Local Community Work

Besides being an MP, Walter Edwards was also very active in his local community. In 1934, he was elected to the Stepney Borough Council. A borough council helps run local services for an area, like schools and parks. He stayed on the council until 1959.

From 1944 to 1945, while he was already an MP, he served as the mayor of Stepney. The mayor is the leader of the local council and represents the town or borough. Walter Edwards had a son and a daughter.