Fielding West

Background

West was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

Education

Following the war he moved to London where he attended the Regent Street Polytechnic and London Day Training College, before taking up employment as a schoolteacher in at the London County Council West Kensington Central School.

Career

Following elementary education at the age of 12, he initially worked in a coal mine before becoming a clerk in a Bradford textile factory. During the First World War he was a clerk in the Army Pay Corps. However, she died in childbirth.

Later on, he remarried and had two children.

At the 1929 general election, West contested the seat of Kensington North as a Labour Party candidate, and was elected, unseating the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament, Percy Gates. Following the election a minority Labour government was formed.

However this collapsed in 1931, and a National Government was formed. There was also a split in the Labour Party, with supporters of the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, forming a National Labour Organisation.

The remainder of the party found itself in opposition to the government.

West was among many Labour MPs who lost their seats, defeated by the government candidate, James Duncan of the Conservative Party. In March 1934 the Conservative died. West was chosen to contest the resulting by-election for the Labour Party.

In a three-cornered contest with Conservative and Communist opponents, West was elected with a majority of 3,516 votes.

Fielding West died in Hammersmith Hospital in October 1935.

Achievements

• The National Government called an election in October 1931, which they won by a landslide.

Membership

35th United Kingdom Parliament. 36th United Kingdom Parliament.