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**British Political History 1945-1990 **  **Trade Union; key people**

**//Hugh Scanlan //**  § **Born: 26th October 1913 **  § **Died: 27th January 2004 ( Aged 90) **  § **Originally born in Melbourne but emigrated to England at the age of two **  § **He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1937. Became a union official in 1947 **  § **Left the party in 1954 but continued as a 'broad left' candidate and won the leadership in 1968 **  § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Him and Jack Jones were named 'The Terrible Twins' for their opposition to the Labour and Conservative governments in their effort to restrict the power of the unions ** <span style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 54pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;"> § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">They were the key movers within the union movement ** <span style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 54pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;"> § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Like Jones, he opposed Britain’s membership in the EEC ** <span style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 54pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;"> § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1979 he was elevated to the House of Lords **

<span style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">**//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jack Jones //** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Born: 29th March 1913 ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Died: 21 April 1986 (Aged 96) ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Occupations: British Trade Union Leader and General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">During his early years, he served during the war ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Strongly opposed fascism and was converted to socialism by reading the book ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ by Robert Tressell ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">After War, Jones became a full time official of the TGWU in Coventry ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Elected its General Secretary in 1968 ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Together with Hugh Scanlan, he led the left wing trade union opposition to the 1966-1970 Labour Government with Wilson at its helm ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Member of the National Economic Development Council between 1969-1978 ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Campaigned against: Britain to leave EEC in the 1975 referendum, the 28 day cooling off period ** § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">In January 1977 an opinion poll found that 54% of the public thought Jones was the most influential person in Britain. **  § **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Accused of spying to the Russians for money but an accusation wasn’t proved. **