Wesley Perrins

{{Short description|British trade unionist & politician (1905-1990)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}

Wesley Perrins, MBE (21 September 1905 – 12 January 1990){{rayment-hc|y||date=March 2012}} was an English trade unionist and Labour Party politician from Stourbridge. He had a long career in local government in Worcestershire, and sat in the House of Commons from 1945 to 1950.

Early life

Perrins was the son of Councillor Amos Perrins of Stourbridge.{{cite book

|last1=Stenton

|first1=Michael

|last2=Lees

|first2=Stephens

|title=Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume IV, 1945–1979

|year=1981

|publisher=The Harvester Press

|location=Brighton

|isbn=0-85527-335-6

|page=294

}} He was educated at Wollescote Council School and at the Upper Standard School in Lye. A socialist, and a trade union official from 1935, Perrins was a member of Lye and Wollescote Urban District Council from 1928 to 1933, and of Stourbridge Urban District Council from 1933 to 1936.

Career

He was elected at the 1945 general election as the member of parliament (MP) for Birmingham Yardley,{{London Gazette

|issue= 37238

|date=24 August 1945

|page=4289

|city=London

}} defeating the sitting Conservative MP Sir Edward Salt.{{cite book

|last=Craig

|first=F. W. S.

|authorlink= F. W. S. Craig

|title=British parliamentary election results 1918–1949

|origyear=1969

|edition=3rd

|year=1983

|publisher= Parliamentary Research Services

|location=Chichester

|isbn= 0-900178-06-X

|page=91

}} Perrins served only five years in Westminster, and retired from the Parliament at the 1950 general election.

He was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List 1952{{London Gazette

|issue= 39421

|date=28 December 1951

|page=21

|supp=y

|city=London

}} for his work as Birmingham and District secretary of the General and Municipal Workers Union, later became a member of the West Midlands Economic Planning Council. He was a members of Worcestershire County Council from 1955 to 1974 and of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party from 1965 to 1965.

Family

In July 1932, Perrins married Mary Evans, the daughter of Charles Evans. They had 2 children Inga (8 March 1935) and Bryn (18 January 1944) who both pursued successful careers in higher education.

References

{{reflist}}