Person    | Male  Born 18/10/1884  Died 8/5/1986

Manny Shinwell

Trades unionist and politician. Born Emanuel Shinwell in Spitalfields. He first entered parliament in 1922. He campaigned for Britain to support the Popular Front government in Spain against Franco in the Spanish Civil War, and during a heated House of Commons debate, he slapped the face of the Conservative MP Commander Robert Tatton Bower, who had told him to 'go back to Poland', (referring to his Jewish heritage).

In the extremely harsh winter of 1946/47 he was the government minister in charge of the coal supply. The mining industry had just been nationalised and the system collapsed, leaving Britain to freeze. He denied there were problems and refused to assume responsibility, blaming the climate, the railway system, or capitalism generally. The cabinet had to take control away from him, leaving him to become the scapegoat. Created Baron Shinwell, he became the longest lived British peer.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Manny Shinwell

Commemorated ati

Manny Shinwell

The plaque was not there when we first visited the site. We have returned sev...

Read More

Other Subjects

Lord Dufferin

Lord Dufferin

Full title: The Most Honourable Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, KP, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC . Born via Maggio, Florence, Italy, died at home at Helen...

Person, Politics & Administration, Canada, India, Ireland, Syria

1 memorial
Councillor W. H. Bryant

Councillor W. H. Bryant

Member of Housing Committee, Diss Street 1922. Councillor and Vice-Chair of the Bethnal Green Baths Committee in 1926. Councillor and on the Bethnal Green Baths Committee in 1926.

Person, Politics & Administration

2 memorials
Jim Connell

Jim Connell

Political activist. Born in Rathniska, near Kilskyre, County Meath. As a teenager he joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood and signed the Fenian Oath. He moved to London in 1875 and worked on Kei...

Person, Music / songs, Politics & Administration, Ireland

1 memorial
John Ladley

John Ladley

Co-overseer of the Westminster Union workhouse in 1826. At The Book of the Bastiles we find in 1838 a Mr. Ladley as an overseer at Hanwell workhouse. Could be our Ladley.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
M Digby Wyatt

M Digby Wyatt

Secretary to the Executive Committee for the Great Exhibition 1851.Architect and writer on art. Born near Devizes, Wiltshire. Died Dimlands Castle, Glamorgan.

Person, Architecture, Politics & Administration

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Royal Australian Air Force remembrance stone

Royal Australian Air Force remembrance stone

SW11, Battersea Park

Above this plaque is a black stone carved with the RAAF badge. The plaque refers to "the Australian Memorial Garden and House". The Gar...

3 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Eleanor Rathbone

Eleanor Rathbone

Politician and social reformer. Born Eleanor Florence Rathbone at 14 Prince's Gardens, according to the ODNB, our trusted source; others say Liverpool. She made an extensive study of the position o...

Person, Politics & Administration, Social Welfare

2 memorials