James Milner, 1st Baron Milner of Leeds

For other people named James Milner, see James Milner (disambiguation).

James Milner, 1st Baron Milner of Leeds, MC, PC (12 August 1889 – 16 July 1967), was a British Labour Party politician.

Major The Right Honourable The Lord Milner of Leeds MC PC
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 10 March 1943 – 20 December 1951
Preceded by	Douglas Clifton Brown
Succeeded by	Sir Charles MacAndrew
Member of Parliament for Leeds South East
In office 1 August 1929 – 20 December 1951
Preceded by	Henry Slesser
Succeeded by	Denis Healey
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 20 December 1951 – 16 July 1967 as a hereditary peer
Preceded by	Peerage created
Succeeded by	The 2nd Baron Milner of Leeds
Personal details
Born	(1889-08-12)12 August 1889
Died	16 July 1967(1967-07-16) (aged 77)

Biography

Milner was educated at the University of Leeds and became a solicitor. He was a major in World War I and was wounded, awarded the Military Cross and bar for his service. He was a Leeds City Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor of Leeds in 1928, and was also Chairman of Leeds Labour Party and President of Leeds Law Society. He later became deputy-lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

He was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds South East at a by-election in August 1929,^[1] and served until 1951. He became Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker^[2] and led the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1945.

In 1951, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Douglas Clifton Brown, had stepped down. As Chairman of Ways and Means, Milner wanted to be Labour's first-ever Speaker. However, the Conservatives, now the majority party, nominated William Morrison. The vote went along party lines – the first time the post had been contested in the 20th century – and Milner lost. As some compensation, he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Milner of Leeds, of Roundhay in the City of Leeds, on 20 December 1951.^[3] Denis Healey replaced him in the subsequent by-election.

Honours

• Military Cross and Bar (MC)
• 1914–15 Star
• British War Medal
• WWI Victory Medal
• Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (PC) (1945)
• Freedom of the City of Leeds (1967)

Coat of arms of James Milner, 1st Baron Milner of Leeds

Crest Perched on a sword with point to the dexter Proper and hilt and pommel Or an owl also Proper gorged with a collar Sable thereon three mullets Argent pendent therefrom a pair of scales and resting on the dexter claw a portcullis chained Or. Escutcheon Gules on a chevron Ermine between in chief two bits Or and in base a rose Argent barbed and seeded Proper a teazel Sable. Supporters On either side an owl Proper gorged with a collar Sable thereon three mullets Argent pendent therefrom a portcullis chained Or. Motto Do Right And Fear Nothing[4]

Personal life

Milner married Lois Tinsdale Brown on 10 February 1917. They had three children:^[5]

• Hon. (Lois Elizabeth Florence) Zaidée Milner (born 9 January 1919, died 1980)
• (Arthur James) Michael Milner, 2nd Baron Milner of Leeds (born 12 September 1923, died 20 August 2003)
• Hon. Shelagh Mary Margaret Milner (born 8 March 1925)

Milner died in 1967 at the age of 77 and was succeeded in the barony by his only son, Michael. His remains and those of his daughter Zaidée are interred in the Garden of Remembrance at St John the Evangelist Church, Moor Allerton, Leeds.