Alfred Waterson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (February 2007)

Alfred Edward Waterson (5 August 1880, Derby – 25 November 1964) was a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He was the first Co-operative Party MP.

Waterson was a railwayman and activist in his trade union. He served as a town councillor.

Although the Co-operative Party put up several candidates for the first time at the 1918 general election, only one met with success. Waterson was elected as MP for the Kettering seat. He took the Labour whip in Parliament, ahead of any decision of Co-operative Congress to progress a formal alliance with the Labour Party.

Waterson was defeated at the 1922 general election. He became a national organiser of the Co-operative Party, serving until 1945. He contested he Nottingham Central by-election in 1930, and stood in Nottingham Central at the 1931 general election, coming a distant second in each case.

[edit] External links

• Co-operative News article on Waterson's election

[edit] References

• Craig, F. W. S. [1969] (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, 3rd edition, Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X. 
• Rosen, Greg (2007). Serving the People: Co-operative Party History from Fred Perry to Gordon Brown. London: Co-operative Party. ISBN 978-09549161-4-5.