William Graham (Edinburgh MP)

William Graham PC (29 July 1887 – 8 January 1932) was a Scottish Labour politician.

The Right Honourable William Graham
Graham in 1924
President of the Board of Trade
In office 7 June 1929 – 24 August 1931
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	Philip Cunliffe-Lister
Succeeded by	Philip Cunliffe-Lister
Personal details
Born	(1887-07-29)29 July 1887 Peebles, Scotland
Died	8 January 1932(1932-01-08) (aged 44) Hendon, Middlesex, England
Resting place	Hendon, Middlesex, England
Nationality	Scottish
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh
Occupation	Politician

Born in Peebles, he was educated at Peebles Public School and George Heriot's School, Edinburgh. After a time as a junior clerk in the War Office, he became a journalist.

He joined the Independent Labour Party in 1906, and was elected to Edinburgh Town Council in 1913. He gained an MA from University of Edinburgh in 1915, and was later awarded an Honorary LLD by the University in 1927.

He served as Labour MP for Edinburgh Central from 1918 until 1931. Early in his parliamentary career he found himself at odds with many Labour MPs and contemplated joining the Liberals. He held office as Financial Secretary to the Treasury in 1924 (when he was sworn as a Privy Councillor) and as President of the Board of Trade from 1929–31. He was responsible for the Coal-Mines Bill, several overseas missions, and industrial inquiries. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1924. He also served on the Royal Commissions on income-tax in 1919, and Oxford and Cambridge in 1920–1921, and was a Member of the Speaker's Conference on Devolution in 1919–1920. He was also a Member of the Medical Research Council from 1920–1928.

He was joint Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1931 until his death from pneumonia in 1932.

References

• Williamson, Philip (January 2008). "Graham, William (1887–1932)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33508. Retrieved 14 March 2010. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
• "Graham, Rt Hon. William". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
• Kinnear, Michael (January 1973). The Fall of Lloyd George: The Political Crisis of 1922. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-1993-6.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Graham

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Charles Edward Price	Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Central 1918–1931	Succeeded by James Guy
Political offices
Preceded by Walter Guinness	Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1924	Succeeded by Ronald McNeill
Preceded by Philip Cunliffe-Lister	President of the Board of Trade 1929–1931	Succeeded by Philip Cunliffe-Lister