Joseph Pointer
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Joseph Pointer(12 June 1875 – 19 November 1914) was apatternmakerwho became aBritishLabour PartyMember of Parliament.
Born in theAttercliffedistrict ofSheffield,Pointer became a convincedsocialistearly in his life, and joined theIndependent Labour Party.He attendedRuskin CollegeinOxfordfor six months to study Constitutional History andSociology.
On his return to Sheffield, Pointer took part in astrike,and was thereafter unable to gain regular employment. He was nonetheless elected Chair of theSheffield Trades Council,and stood unsuccessfully forSheffield City Councilin 1906 and 1907. In 1908, he was finally elected for theBrightsideward.
In 1909,J. Batty Langley,Liberal PartyMP forSheffield Attercliffedied, and Pointer stood for theLabour Partyinthe ensuing by-election.With the non Labour vote divided between the Liberal candidate, and both official and unofficialConservative Partycandidates, Pointer achieved a narrow victory, becoming Sheffield's first Labour MP. He held the seat in both theJanuaryandDecember 1910 general elections,which the Liberal Party did not contest.
In theHouse of Commons,Pointer was appointed as a juniorwhip,but died in Sheffield in 1914 aged 39.
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External links[edit]
- Sources for the Study of the election of Sheffield's first Labour Member of Parliament, 1909Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives