Sir Robert Evan Thomas JP (8 October 1901 - 17 April 2004) was a British politician and trade unionist who served as Leader of Manchester City Council for three terms between 1956 and 1973. A member of the Labour Party, he was also leader of Greater Manchester County Council from 1974 to 1977.Walking problems away, Manchester Evening News, October 29, 1973, p.10Tories toppled in twin cities landslide, Manchester Evening News, May 14, 1971, p.16Land sale halted in Manchester, The Guardian, May 18, 1971, p.7
Early life and career
Robert Evan Thomas was born on 8 October 1901 in Ince-in-Makerfield, Lancashire, he was the youngest of five children born to parents from North Wales.
At the age of 14, Thomas began working in a coal mine before serving eighteen months in the army after the end of the First World War. In 1924, he became a bus driver, work that led him to become an official in the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), acting as the union's passenger secretary in Manchester.Walking problems away, Manchester Evening News, October 29, 1973, p.10Once he knew more dinner times than dinners, Manchester Evening News, July 19, 1949, p.5TRANSPORT WORKERS' GRIEVANCES, Manchester Guardian, January 22, 1938, p.21 In April 1940, he formed part of a deputation to Manchester City Council which protested against the introduction of women ticket-inspectors on the city's buses.Women inspectors Banned by men, Manchester Evening News, April 30, 1940, p.5 Thomas retired from the TGWU in 1955.
Local politics
On 12 May 1943, Thomas was elected as acting secretary of the Labour Party on Manchester City Council.Manchester Guardian, May 13, 1943, p.6 Later that year, he was nominated by the Labour Party to fill a vacancy on the council created by the death of Councillor Charles BeamandManchester Guardian, December 17, 1943, p.8 and became a councillor for St. George's ward on 5 January 1944. He was successfully elected in that ward in the 1945 local elections.
In 1947, Thomas became the chairman of the council's Markets Committee, and he would go on to serve as chairman of several other committees.Once he knew more dinner times than dinners, Manchester Evening News, July 19, 1949, p.5 When Tom Nally, leader of the controlling Labour group, died in December 1956, Thomas became his successor as both group leader and city alderman.NEW ALDERMAN, Manchester Evening News, January 10, 1957, p.11
As the de facto leader of the council, Thomas oversaw the continuation of inner-city slum clearance, the introduction of comprehensive education in Manchester"Smoking, drinking, too little sleep", Manchester Evening News, May 1, 1957, p.6"Tempers flare in big schools debate", Manchester Evening News, July 7, 1965, p.7 and the introduction of air-control zones to combat air pollution in the city.Smoke-free zone widens, Manchester Evening News, January 5, 1961, p.5 The end of Thomas' first period as leader was marked by a backlash over rising local rates and the formation of the Manchester Ratepayers' Party which won more than 7,000 votes in the 1960 local elections."COUNCIL NEEDS BUSINESS CHIEF", Manchester Evening News, February 3, 1959, p.5YOUR RATES: THE BIG TOPIC, Manchester Evening News, May 4, 1959, p.4 In 1962-63 Municipal year, Thomas served as Lord Mayor of Manchester and resigned the leadership of the Labour group, Alderman Maurice Pariser succeeded him.NEW LABOUR LEADER, The Guardian, May 23, 1962, p.1 Three years later, Alderman Pariser resigned the Labour group leadership on health grounds and Thomas was once again elected group leader.Ald. R. E. Thomas Manchester Labour Group Leader, The Guardian, November 4, 1965, p.6
On 14 February 1967, Thomas was knighted as part of the 1967 New Year Honours for services to Local Government in Manchester.Former Lord Mayor knighted, Manchester Evening News, February 14, 1967, p.12 Months later, Labour lost control of Manchester City Council to the Conservatives for the first time in fourteen years.Manchester lost by Labour after 16 years in power, The Guardian, May 12, 1967, p.6 Manchester Labour continued to lose seats on the council in a period when the Labour government of Harold Wilson had become deeply unpopular, in 1968 Labour won just eight seats out of forty-one.Triumphant Tories race into power at Salford, Manchester Evening News, May 10, 1968, p.18Tory majority in Manchester increase to 30, The Guardian, May 10, 1968, p.4 Thomas led Labour back to power in Manchester in the 1971 local elections when all of the seats on the city council were up for election.Tories toppled in twin cities landslide, Manchester Evening News, May 14, 1971, p.16 The election resulted in the city Labour Party winning its greatest number of seats to that point.Council graph shows new records, The Guardian, May 24, 1971, p.6
The Local Government Act 1972 abolished the Manchester Corporation and replaced it with a new authority covering an almost identical area. The Act also created the county of Greater Manchester which would take over many powers previously enjoyed by the corporation. Thomas was elected to the Greater Manchester County Council in 1973 in Manchester No.8 ward (which included his former ward of St. George's) and became leader of the new region.Walking problems away, Manchester Evening News, October 29, 1973, p.10
Thomas retired from politics before the next set of elections to the county and Greater Manchester was gained by the Conservatives. The Guardian speculated that Labour's defeat was brought about by the failure to materialise motorway expansion and the cancellation of the Picc-Vic tunnel, both projects championed by Thomas.The new Tory bosses, The Guardian, June 23, 1977, p.17Vision of a new capital stirs in the North, The Guardian, September 23, 1974, p.11
Personal life
Thomas married Edna Isherwood in 1924, they had two children together.Once he knew more dinner times than dinners, Manchester Evening News, July 19, 1949, p.5
He died on 17 April 2004 at the age of 102.
References