James Roberts (trade unionist)

James Roberts, CMG (21 February 1878 – 4 February 1967) was a New Zealand trade unionist, and was president of the Labour Party from 1937 to 1950. He was on the Legislative Council from 17 June 1947 to 31 December 1950, being appointed by the Labour Government. He was on the Wellington City Council from 1950 to 1959. He was honoured (CMG) in the 1958 Birthday Honours.

He was born in Ireland in 1878 and arrived in New Zealand in 1891. He was active in the Wellington Socialist Party, which Roberts and Robert Hogg kept from joining the local Social Democratic Party under the "Unity Scheme" in 1913. He was then opposed to political activity and the Labour Party, and challenged the primacy of the Labour parliamentarians. He was Secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers Federation 1915–1941 and the Alliance of Labour 1920–1935.

Later he became one of the dominant figures of the Labour Party, becoming vice-president 1934–1936 and 1950–1954, and National President 1937–1950. He was called 'Big Jim' and 'the uncrowned King of New Zealand'.^[1]

Roberts died in Porirua in 1967; his wife had died in 1944.^[2]

References

• Obituary in Evening Post, 7 February 1967