Tom Johnston was born in Kirkintilloch, Scotland,
in 1882. Educated at the Lenzie Academy and Glasgow University, he
helped to establish the left-wing journal, Forward,
in 1906.
Johnson
began working closely with other socialists in Glasgow
including John Wheatley, Emanuel
Shinwell, James Maxton, William
Gallacher, John Muir, David
Kirkwood, Jimmie Stewart, Neil
Maclean, George Hardie, George
Buchanan and James Welsh.
A
member of the Labour Party, Johnston was
elected to the House of Commons in November
1922. Also
successful were several other militant socialists based in Glasgow
including John Wheatley,
Emanuel Shinwell,
James Maxton, John
Muir, David
Kirkwood, Jimmie Stewart,
Neil Maclean, George
Hardie, George Buchanan and James
Welsh.
When Ramsay MacDonald became
prime minister following the 1929 General Election,
he appointed Johnston as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.
The election
of the Labour Government in 1929 coincided
with an economic depression and Ramsay
MacDonald was
faced with the problem of growing unemployment. MacDonald asked Sir
George May, to form a committee to look into Britain's economic problem.
When the May Committee produced its report in July, 1931, it suggested
that the government should reduce its expenditure by £97,000,000,
including a £67,000,000 cut in unemployment benefits. MacDonald,
and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip
Snowden, accepted the report but when the matter was discussed
by the Cabinet, the majority voted against the measures suggested
by Sir George May.
Ramsay
MacDonald was
angry that his Cabinet had voted against him and decided to resign.
When he saw George V that night, he was
persuaded to head a new coalition government that would include Conservative
and Liberal leaders as well as Labour
ministers. Most of the Labour Cabinet totally rejected the idea and
only three, Philip Snowden, Jimmy
Thomas and John Sankey agreed to join
the new government.
Johnston, a strong opponent of MacDonald's new government, lost his
seat at Stirling and Clackmannan in the 1931
General Election.
Johnston
returned to the House
of Commons in
November 1935. He held the seat until he retired in June 1945. After
leaving Parliament he was Chairman of the Scottish National Forestry
Commission (1945-48), Chairman of North of Scotland Hydro-Electric
Board (1946-59), Chancellor of Aberdeen University (1951-65) and governor
of the British Broadcasting Board (1955-56).
Tom
Johnston died
on 5th September, 1965.
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