John Horner (British politician)

Frederick John Horner (5 November 1911 – 11 February 1997) was a British firefighter, trade unionist and politician.

Early life
Horner was the youngest of three sons and a daughter and grew up in Walthamstow. He won a scholarship to Sir George Monoux Grammar School, and after leaving school he went to work as a junior trainee buyer at Harrods, but soon went into the Merchant Navy where he saw rapid advancement.

However, the depression of the 1930s saw a loss of ships and crews and Horner was unemployed. In 1933, Horner was recruited into the London Fire Brigade by Aylmer Firebrace. From 1939, Horner was General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union after a left-wing takeover.

Fire Brigades Union
At the FBU, Horner led a recruiting campaign which was astoundingly successful. He pressed the wartime government for an improvement in conditions for firefighters: in 1941 he launched the "Fireman's Charter" setting out all the changes the union desired, all of which were met. Horner was briefly a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain in the post-war period, and served on the party's Executive Committee from February 1948, but resigned after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956.

Parliamentary career and retirement

At the 1964 general election, Horner was elected as Labour Party Member of Parliament for Oldbury and Halesowen, and stood down from his union post. Horner allied with the left, opposing British diplomatic support for the United States over the Vietnam War, and attempts to negotiate a deal with Rhodesia. He also opposed attempts to bring in an incomes policy.

Horner lost his seat at the 1970 general election  and went into retirement at Ross-on-Wye, although he wrote a book in 1973 about industrial and trade union issues entitled, Studies in Industrial Democracy.

References

Sources
M. Stenton and S. Lees. Who's Who of British MPs Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
Obituary, The Independent, 18 February 1997.

External links
 

Category:1911 births
Category:1997 deaths
Category:London Fire Brigade officers
Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:UK MPs 1964–1966
Category:UK MPs 1966–1970
Category:British Merchant Navy personnel
Category:General Secretaries of the Fire Brigades Union
Category:People educated at Sir George Monoux College