James Barr (politician)

James Barr (1862–1949) was a British Liberal then Labour politician and a noted pacifist[1] and socialist. He was also a strong supporter of home rule for Scotland, a minimum wage and the Temperance movement.

Barr was originally a Liberal but then joined the Independent Labour Party. He served as the Member of Parliament for Motherwell, from 1924–31 and then for Coatbridge from 1935–45.

He served as Chairman of the Select committee on capital punishment, 1929–1930, which reported at the end of the latter year.

In 1930–1931, Barr was Chairman of the Liaison Committee, as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party was then known at any time when the party was in government.

A Presbyterian minister, Barr strongly opposed any link between church and state; in his view, the Church must support and maintain itself on an entirely voluntary basis.

For this reason, he was a prominent member of the United Free Church of Scotland and he led the opposition to that group's reunion with the Church of Scotland in 1929; he and those of like mind did not participate in the reunion and continued as the United Free Church of Scotland, which is still in existence.

His maiden speech as an MP was an attack on the Church of Scotland (Property and Endowments) Act 1925 and lasted just under an hour and a half.

Barr was the grandfather of James Barr (biblical scholar).

Published works
  • Barr, James (1903). Christianity and war, lectures. London.
  • Barr, James (1916). The conscientious objector, a lecture. London.
  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Capital Punishment.; Rev. James Barr (Chairman) (1931). Report from the Select Committee on Capital Punishment : together with the proceedings of the Committee, and the minutes of evidence, taken before the Select Committee on Capital Punishment in 1929-1930, together with appendices and index. London: HMSO. cxiv, 681 pp.
  • Barr, James (1941). Ignored speeches. London: Parliamentary Peace Aims Group.
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References
  1. Gros, Jeffrey; Rempel, John D. (9 August 2018). "The Fragmentation of the Church and Its Unity in Peacemaking". Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing – via Google Books.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Hugh Ferguson		 Member of Parliament for Motherwell
1924–1931		 Succeeded by
Thomas Ormiston
Preceded by
William Paterson Templeton		 Member of Parliament for Coatbridge
1935–1945		 Succeeded by
Jean Mann


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