The Labour Party has been active in the Stroud constituency area since at least 1897 and the constituency has been represented in UK Parliament by three Labour MPs, Ben Parkin, David Drew and Simon Opher. The Constituency Labour Party first purchased a building in 1930.
The Party is currently represented by 18 Councillors on Stroud District Council and one on the wider area of Gloucestershire County Council. Previous Labour Group leaders have included Steve Lydon, Margaret Nolder, Steve Greenwood. Labour leaders on the predecessor Councils have included Bill Maddox (Stroud RDC) Walter Preston(Stroud UDC) and Tom Langham (Stroud UDC). Tom Langham was the first Labour Chair of Stroud UDC in 1935. On 30 June 2022, Cllr Doina Cornell, the Leader of Stroud District Council, left the Labour Party following her removal from the long list of Labour candidates for the Stroud Parliamentary constituency. Three other members of the council also left the Labour Party the day after, with more following the subsequent year.
Independent Labour Party
The first recorded attempt to promote Socialism in Stroud was a visit of 40 trade unionists and ILP members in June 1895, this was chaired by David Fraser the President of the Gloucester ILP.Clarion 06 July 1895 p. 6 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/ViewArticle?id=BL%2F0002732%2F18950706%2F08 In July 1897 the “Clarion Van” visited Stroud for four days and meetings were addressed by John Bruce Glasier, Councillor Alpass(from Berkeley), Fenton MacphersonMary Macpherson and Mary Macpherson. Glasier and the Macphersons were accommodated by a Mr and Mrs Hunt during their stay in Stroud.This is likely to be Stephen Ernest Hunt who lived on Bath Road Rodborough Clarion 17 July 1897 pp. 6, 7, 8 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002732%2f18970717 A branch of the ILP was formed in the Town in August 1897.Labour Leader 28 August 1897 p. 8 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002734%2f18970828%2f110 A public meeting organised by the Branch was held on Sunday 16 January 1898 addressed by Pete Curran.Pete Curran at Stroud, Stroud News and Gloucestershire Advertiser 21 January 1898 p. 3, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002216%2f18980121%2f053
Trades and Labour Council A Trades and Labour Council started in about 1898.
The Trades Union Congress continues to support a network of locally organised Union Councils and while the Stroud Trades Council came to an end in about 1999 there are 21 Trades Councils in the South West with two covering Gloucestershire—Cheltenham and District Trades Council and Gloucester and District Trades Council .
Trade and Labour Club By 1908 the Labour Movement had a Club building on Lower Street.
Far Hill The official opening of the new Headquarters for the Constituency at Far Hill on Cainscross Road took place on 20 September 1930. The building has previously been the depot of the Cotswold Grocery Stores and had been purchased for £1000 with the Club and Institute becoming the headquarters of the Stroud Constituency Labour Party but also the home of trade union branches in the area. Charles Duncan Labour MP for Clay Cross visited the town for the official opening.Cheltenham Chronicle, 27 September 1930, p. 6, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000518%2f19300927%2f07 The building was sold to Stroud Urban District Council in the early 1970s and demolished and the site was used for a waste tip and council car park but has subsequently been redeveloped for a DIY store. The Current Labour Party offices are based at 5a Lansdown.
Parliamentary candidates The first time a Labour Candidate contested an election for the Stroud Constituency was in 1918. Of the 17 individuals who have stood, two were elected for Stroud with four others subsequently elected for other constituencies.
Stroud 1918–1945 + Labour Candidates in Stroud Constituency 1918–1945Stroud (UK Parliament constituency) Election Year Candidate name Votes % ±% Comments 1918 Charles Wye Kendallworking note - Stood for Election in Eye Suffolk in 1924 Eye (UK Parliament constituency) 8,522 40.1 New Not Elected 1922 Samuel E Waltersworking note Alderman in Swindon and also stood in Bristol Central in 1923 Bristol Central (UK Parliament constituency) 5,081 17.6 −22.5 Not Elected 1923 No Candidate 1924 Edith Picton-Turbervill 7,418 25.2 New Not Elected Later MP for Wrekin 1929 F. E. White 10,384 26.1 +0.9 Not Elected 1931Byelection caused by Retirement of Frank Nelson (Con) 1931 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931_Stroud_by-election John Maynard 10,688 30.0 +3.9 Not Elected1935 Constance Borrett 14,133 36.8 +8.2 Not Elected 1945 Ben Parkin 22,495 40.8 +4.0 First Labour MP Elected
1950–1951 + Labour Candidate Stroud and Thornbury Constituency 1950 and 1951 Election Year Candidate name Votes % ±% Comments 1950 Ben Parkin 24,846 43.4 Lost seat 1951 Ben Parkin 28,558 48.7 +5.3 Not Elected
1955–2019 + Labour Candidates Stroud Constituency 1955 to 2019 Election Year Candidate name Votes % ±% Comments 1955 Richard W. Evely 19,375 41.1 Not Elected 1959 Alfred Evans 18,336 37.6 -3.5 Not Elected Later MP for Caerphilly 1964 Dennis V. Hunt 18,889 38.2 +0.6 Not Elected 1966 Tom Cox 20,259 40.1 +1.9 Not Elected Later MP for Tooting 1970 R. Derek Wheatley 19,158 36.1 -4 Not Elected Feb 1974 William (Bill) H Maddocks 17,148 29.2 -6.9 Not Elected Oct 1974 William (Bill) H Maddocks 17,352 31.1 +1.9 Not Elected 1979 B.J. Marshall 17,037 27.5 -3.6 Not Elected 1983 D.R. Parsons 10.141 16.8 -3.0 Not Elected 1987 Tom Levitt 12,145 18.5 +1.7 Not Elected Later MP for High Peak 1992 David Drew 18,706 26.9 +8.4 Not Elected 1997 David Drew 26,170 42.7 +13.3 Elected 2001 David Drew 25,685 46.6+3.9 Elected 2005 David Drew 22,527 39.6 -7.0 Elected 2010 David Drew 22,380 38.6 -1.5 Not Elected 2015 David Drew 22,947 37.7 -0.9 Not Elected 2017 David Drew 29,994 47 +9.3 Elected 2019 David Drew 27,742 42.1 -4.9 Not Elected 2024 Simon Opher 25,607 46.4 +4.8 Elected
Prominent activists + Prominent activists Name Area Associated with Year born Year Died Years activeObituary and CommentsJoseph Alpass Berkeley187319691895–1950 Originally an ILP activist in 1895, Later MP for Thornbury See Wikipedia entry Joseph Alpass Frederick William Harper Rodborough186819611907–1961Birmingham Daily Post 11 May 1961 p. 18 Rodborough Parish from 1907 Stroud RDC from 1917, originally a Liberal. Said to be one of the Labour Party founders more than 50 years ago "remaining a leader for many years".(Paywall)Search page William (Bill) H Maddocks Leonard Stanley Pat Parker Cainscross Councillor from 1960s to 1983Retirement inferred from British Local Elections DatabaseWalter K Preston Trinity then Cainscross 1915 NK1948–1993 A leading member of Stroud UDC from 1940s and joined SDC when it formed in 1973 and retired in 1983. Walter Preston Court, Cashes Green was named in his honour, while he was still living. He was also Constituency Chair for some time.1939 National Register for Birth Date, RG101/5079F/011/44, https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=TNA%2FR39%2F5079%2F5079F%2F011%2F44; Stroud Election Results 1948 Gloucester Citizen 06 April 1948 p. 4; Retirement from SDC in 1983 inferred from British Local Elections Database https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stroud-1973-2012.pdf Mary Maureen Rutter Cainscross 1925 2015 1981–2009 Stroud News and Journal 21 October 2015 A member of the County Council for 28 years, she was the First Woman Chair of the Council and her service included Labour Group Leader, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care. Mary Sollars Hinton(Sharpness) 1938? Served on SDC from 1973 to 1983, she and her husband were stalwarts in the Berkeley area for many years.Retirement from SDC in 1983 inferred from British Local Elections Database
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