James Roberts (trade unionist)

The Honourable James Roberts CMG


Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
In office 17 June 1947 – 31 December 1950
16th President of the Labour Party
In office 1937–1950
Vice President	Jim Thorn (1937-38) James Barclay (1938-40) Gervan McMillan (1940-42) Arnold Nordmeyer (1942–50)
Leader	Michael Joseph Savage† Peter Fraser
Preceded by	Clyde Carr
Succeeded by	Arnold Nordmeyer
Personal details
Born	(1878-02-21)21 February 1878 Lissangle, Country Cork, Ireland
Died	4 February 1967(1967-02-04) (aged 88) Porirua, New Zealand
Political party	Labour Party

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.

Early life

He was born in Lissangle, County Cork, Ireland, in 1878 and arrived in New Zealand in 1901 or 1902.^[1] 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 from 1915 to 1941 and the Alliance of Labour from 1920 to 1935.

Political career

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 appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours.^[2]

Robers was one of the dominant figures of the Labour Party, serving as vice-president from 1934 to 1936 and 1950 to 1954, and national president between 1937 and 1950. He was called 'Big Jim' and 'the uncrowned King of New Zealand'.^[3]

Roberts died in Porirua in 1967; his wife had died in 1944.^[1]

References

1 2 Green, Anna. "James Roberts". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41406. p. 3553. 12 June 1958. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
↑ Gustafson, Barry (1980). Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party 1900–1919. Auckland, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand: Auckland University Press ; Oxford University Press. p. 165. ISBN 0-19-647986-X.

Obituary in Evening Post, 7 February 1967

Party political offices
Preceded by Clyde Carr	President of the Labour Party 1937–1950	Succeeded by Arnold Nordmeyer

New Zealand Labour Party

Party leaders Names in bold served as prime minister of New Zealand	Alfred Hindmarsh (1916–18) Harry Holland (1919–33) Michael Joseph Savage (1933–40) Peter Fraser (1940–50) Walter Nash (1951–63) Arnold Nordmeyer (1963–65) Norman Kirk (1965–74) Bill Rowling (1974–83) David Lange (1983–89) Geoffrey Palmer (1989–90) Mike Moore (1990–93) Helen Clark (1993–2008) Phil Goff (2008–11) David Shearer (2011–13) David Cunliffe (2013–14) Andrew Little (2014–present)

Party presidents	James McCombs (1916–17) Andrew Walker (1917–18) Tom Paul (1918–20) Peter Fraser (1920–21) Frederick Cooke (1921–22) Tom Brindle (1922–26) Bob Semple (1926–28) John Archer (1928–29) Jim Thorn (1929–31) Rex Mason (1931–32) Bill Jordan (1932–33) Frank Langstone (1933–34) Tim Armstrong (1934–35) Walter Nash (1935–36) Clyde Carr (1936–37) James Roberts (1937–50) Arnold Nordmeyer (1950–55) Michael Moohan (1955–60) Martyn Finlay (1960–64) Norman Kirk (1964–66) Norman Douglas (1966–70) Bill Rowling (1970–72) Charles Bennett (1972–76) Arthur Faulkner (1976–78) Jim Anderton (1979–84) Margaret Wilson (1984–87) Rex Jones (1987–88) Ruth Dyson (1988–93) Maryan Street (1993–95) Michael Hirschfeld (1995–99) Bob Harvey (1999–2000) Mike Williams (2000–09) Andrew Little (2009–11) Moira Coatsworth (2011–15) Nigel Haworth (2015–present)

Current Members of Parliament Names without electorates are list MPs (List of former MPs)	Leader: Andrew Little Deputy Leader: Annette King (Rongotai) Jacinda Ardern David Clark (Dunedin North) Clayton Cosgrove David Cunliffe (New Lynn) Clare Curran (Dunedin South) Kelvin Davis (Te Tai Tokerau) Ruth Dyson (Port Hills) Kris Faafoi (Mana) Peeni Henare (Tāmaki Makaurau) Chris Hipkins (Rimutaka) Iain Lees-Galloway (Palmerston North) Nanaia Mahuta (Hauraki-Waikato) Trevor Mallard (Hutt South) Sue Moroney Stuart Nash (Napier) Damien O'Connor (West Coast-Tasman) David Parker Grant Robertson (Wellington Central) Adrian Rurawhe (Te Tai Hauāuru) Jenny Salesa (Manukau East) Carmel Sepuloni (Kelston) David Shearer (Mount Albert) William Sio (Māngere) Rino Tirikatene (Te Tai Tonga) Phil Twyford (Te Atatū) Louisa Wall (Manurewa) Meka Whaitiri (Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) Poto Williams (Christchurch East) Michael Wood (Mount Roskill) Megan Woods (Wigram)

Labour governments	First (1935–49) Second (1957–60) Third (1972–75) Fourth (1984–90) Fifth (1999–2008)

Labour opposition	Holland Nordmeyer Kirk Rowling Goff Shearer Cunliffe Little

Leadership elections	1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1933 1940 1951 1954 1963 1965 1974 1980 1983 1988 1989 1990 1993 1996 2008 2011 2013 2014

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