On This Day

14 September 1894

Birth of George Garro-Jones, Liberal MP for Hackney South 1924-29

Born in Haverfordwest, Garro-Jones served with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and in 1918 went to America as advisory officer to the US air service. Back in the UK he spent several years as London editor of the Daily Dispatch. His early political career was as private secretary to Sir Hamar Greenwood then serving as Chief Secretary for Ireland in the Lloyd George coalition government. He fought Bethnal Green North East in 1922 for Lloyd George’s National Liberals and, following Liberal reunion, contested Hackney South, winning at the second attempt and recording a rare Liberal victory in the disastrous 1924 election. Garro-Jones stood down in 1929 and soon after joined the Labour Party (although he returned to the Liberal Party shortly before his death), serving as Labour MP for Aberdeen North 1935-45. He was created Baron Trefgarne in 1947 and sat in the Lords until his death in September 1960. His son David was a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government.