Wilfred Paling | |
|---|---|
 Paling in 1948 | |
| Postmaster General | |
| In office 17 April 1947 – 28 February 1950 | |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | William Hare |
| Succeeded by | Ness Edwards |
| Minister of Pensions | |
| In office 3 August 1945 – 17 April 1947 | |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Walter Womersley |
| Succeeded by | John Hynd |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Pensions | |
| In office 1941–1945 | |
| Preceded by | George Tryon |
| Succeeded by | William Sidney |
| Member of Parliament forDearne Valley | |
| In office 23 February 1950 – 8 October 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Wainwright |
| Member of Parliament forWentworth | |
| In office 22 December 1933 – 3 February 1950 | |
| Preceded by | George Henry Hirst |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of Parliament forDoncaster | |
| In office 15 November 1922 – 6 October 1931 | |
| Preceded by | Reginald Nicholson |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Molson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wilfred Paling (1883-04-07)7 April 1883 Marehay,Derbyshire, England |
| Died | 17 April 1971(1971-04-17) (aged 88) |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hunt |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
Wilfred Paling (7 April 1883 – 17 April 1971) was a BritishLabour Party politician.[1][2]
He was born atMarehay, nearRipley,Derbyshire, one of eight children of a coalminer.[2] Paling left Ripley Elementary School at the age of 13, and entered casual employment with local plumbing and building companies. When the family moved toHuthwaite inNottinghamshire he started work in New Hucknall Colliery, also attending night classes organised by theWorkers Educational Association in politics, economics and trade union history. He subsequently won a scholarship to study mining atUniversity College Nottingham. Returning to the Nottinghamshire Coalfield, he became an official in the local miners' federation and a member of theIndependent Labour Party.[2]
In 1912 he left Nottinghamshire as his union and political activities meant that he could not find employment in the area. He moved to theWest Riding of Yorkshire to work atBullcroft Colliery nearDoncaster. He was soon after elected to the committee of the Yorkshire Miners' Association, and in 1917 became colliery checkweighman.[1][2] He entered local politics in 1919 when he was elected to the West RidingCounty Council and toBentley with ArkseyUrban District Council.[1][2]
At the1922 general election Paling was electedMember of Parliament (MP) forDoncaster, and was re-elected in1923,1924 and1929.[1][2] Paling was a JuniorLord of the Treasury 1929–1931.[2] He was defeated at the1931 general election, when the Labour Party lost many seats to candidates of theNational Government.[2]
In 1933 he returned to theCommons when he was returned unopposed at a by-election atWentworth.[2] He was re-elected at the general elections of1935 and1945.[1] He had the largest majority of any MP in the 1945 general election: 35,410.[2]
He joined thewartime coalition government as aLord Commissioner of the Treasury, in 1940 and wasParliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions from 1941 to 1945.[1][2] He was appointed aPrivy Counsellor in 1944.[1] In theLabour Government formed after the war he wasMinister of Pensions, from 1945 – 1947; andPostmaster General from 1947 – 1950.[1][2]
The Wentworth constituency was abolished by theRepresentation of the People Act 1948 with effect from the1950 general election. Paling was elected for the new seat ofDearne Valley, and was re-elected in1955.[2] He retired from parliament at the1959 general election.[1]
Paling married Elizabeth Hunt of Huthwaite, and they had two children. He died at his home inScawthorpe, near Doncaster, in April 1971.[2]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDoncaster 1922–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forWentworth 1933–1950 | Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forDearne Valley 1950–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Pensions 1941 – 1945 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Pensions 1945–1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Postmaster General 1947–1950 | Succeeded by |
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