Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 15, 2013

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Lansbury

George Lansbury (1859–1940) was a British socialist, editor and campaigner who led the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. Throughout his political life he fought for equality, social justice, women's rights and world disarmament. Before entering the national scene he served in the East End of London in numerous local government posts. Elected to parliament in 1910, he resigned his seat two years later on the issue of women's suffrage, and was briefly imprisoned after publicly supporting militant action. Lansbury became editor of the Daily Herald newspaper, which maintained a strong pacifist stance during the First World War and supported the 1917 Russian Revolution. Although he returned to parliament in 1922 he was excluded from the brief Labour government of 1924, but served as First Commissioner of Works in the Labour government of 1929–31. After the economic crisis of August 1931 Lansbury refused to join the National Government under Ramsay MacDonald and became leader of the Labour Party in opposition. His pacifism in the face of rising European fascism put him at odds with his party, and in 1935 he resigned the leadership. He spent his final years travelling in the United States and Europe in the cause of peace and disarmament. (Full article...)

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