Percy Wright | |
|---|---|
 Wright in September 1944 | |
| Member of Parliament forMelfort | |
| In office 16 May 1940 – 13 June 1953[1] | |
| Preceded by | Malcolm MacLean |
| Succeeded by | riding dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Percy Ellis Wright (1892-11-01)1 November 1892 Beachburg, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 30 September 1980(1980-09-30) (aged 87) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Party | Co-operative Commonwealth Federation |
| Spouse(s) | Alice I. Dougherty m. 28 February 1922[2] |
| Profession | farmer |
Percy Ellis Wright (1 November 1892 – 30 September 1980) was a Canadiandemocratic socialist politician. He was a member of theCo-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and served over 13 years as aMember of Parliament (MP) in theHouse of Commons of Canada. He served on the CCF's national council and executive, and was elected as the CCF's National Chairman in 1950. After he was defeated as an MP, he returned to his occupation as a farmer until his death in 1980.
Wright was born inBeachburg, Ontario, and attendedJarvis Collegiate Institute in Toronto. He served in the Canadian Field Artillery duringWorld War I and became a lieutenant.[1] His career was in farming.[2]
He was first elected to Parliament from theMelfort electoral district in the1940 federal election. He was re-elected in1945 and1949. When the Melfort electoral district was abolished, in the 1952 federalriding redistribution, Wright sought re-election inMelville, which contained roughly half of his old riding. It was also the electoral district of incumbent federal Minister of AgricultureJames Garfield Gardiner of theLiberal party. In the1953 Federal Election Wright was defeated by Gardiner, ending his federal political career.
WhenF. R. Scott retired as the national chairman, just before the CCF's biennial convention in Vancouver in July 1950, there was a rift between the farmer and labour wings.[3] Wright represented the farmer-wing, while Vancouver'sAngus MacInnis, the son-in-law of former party founding leaderJ.S. Woodsworth, represented the labour-wing.[3] Wright defeated MacInnis in the election to be the CCF's National Chairman.[3] He was elected again in 1952.[4] At the 1954 convention Wright retired as national chairman, andDavid Lewis was elected to replace him.[5] He died in 1980.[6]