Background
Born in Houghton-le-Spring, the son of a County Durham miner, Hamilton joined the Labour Party as a teenager in 1936.
Born in Houghton-le-Spring, the son of a County Durham miner, Hamilton joined the Labour Party as a teenager in 1936.
He was known for his strong republican views. He also became a schoolteacher. After initially being a conscientious objector in World World War II, he served as a captain with the Pioneer Corps in the Middle East.
Hamilton contested West Fife at the 1945 general election, but lost to Communist Willie Gallacher.
In 1950 he overturned that result, winning by over 13,000 votes. In 1974, after boundary changes, he became Member of Parliament for Fife Central.
He sponsored the equal pay for equal work bill in the 1970s but is best remembered for his stridently anti-royalist views, which he set out in detail in his book My Queen and I. He branded the Queen "a clockwork doll", Princess Margaret "a floozy", and Prince Charles "a twerp". However, he admired the Queen Mother, declaring on her 80th birthday: "I am glad to salute a remarkable old lady.
May she live to be the pride of the family."
In 1987 Hamilton was replaced as Labour candidate in Fife Central by Henry McLeish, and stood in the ultra-safe Conservative seat of South Hams in Devon, South-West England, where he came third, polling just 8% of the vote.
Hamilton retired to Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, and died in Lincoln in 2000, aged 82.
39th United Kingdom Parliament. 40th United Kingdom Parliament. 41st United Kingdom Parliament.
42nd United Kingdom Parliament.
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47th United Kingdom Parliament.
48th United Kingdom Parliament. 49th United Kingdom Parliament.