Henderson, Arthur

Henderson, Arthur (b. 20 Sept. 1863, d. 20 Oct. 1935). British Foreign Secretary 1929–31 Born in Glasgow, he grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he worked in an iron foundry, and was an active trade unionist. In 1903, he was elected to Parliament for the Labour Party, of which he became an important member, staying on the right of the party while remaining conscious of its trade-union constituency. In 1908–10, he was chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and in 1912 became secretary of the Labour Party, holding the post until 1934. On the outbreak of war in 1914, he took over from Ramsay MacDonald as chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party once again, and entered Asquith's coalition Cabinet in 1915. During the war, he was closely involved with the government's industrial relations, and when Lloyd George became Prime Minister in 1916, he was made a member of the select War Cabinet. He was forced to resign in 1917, when he advocated Labour participation in an international socialist conference which would be attended by representatives from all countries, including Britain's wartime enemies. He was briefly out of Parliament from 1918 until 1919, but was Home Secretary in the Labour government of 1924, and Foreign Secretary, 1929–31. When MacDonald formed the National Government in 1931, Henderson briefly became Labour leader. He lost his seat in 1931, but was returned to the Commons in 1933.