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Sir Leslie Plummer
Chairman of the Overseas Food Corporation
In office
16 February 1948 – 30 June 1950
Succeeded by Sir Eric Coates
In office
25 October, 1951 – 15 April 1963
Preceded by Jack Cooper
Succeeded by John Silkin
Born 2 June 1901(1901-06-02)
Demerara, British Guiana
Died 15 April 1963 (aged 61)
New York City
Political party Labour
Spouse Beatrice Lapsker
Residence Hampstead
Occupation Newspaper executive

Sir Leslie Arthur Plummer, known to friends as Dick[1] (2 June 1901 – 15 April 1963) was a British farmer, newspaper executive and politician. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Deptford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Deptford district of South London. Results |} Total votes cast 28596594 All parties shown Conservative result includes the Ulster Unionists Votes summary Headline Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Cooper Baron Cooper of Stockton Heath ( 7 June 1908 &ndash 2 September 1988) known as Jack Cooper, was a British John Ernest Silkin, ( 18 March 1923 &ndash 26 April 1987) was an English Politician and Solicitor. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Demerara in South America was one of the original British colonies that were joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. British Guiana was the name of the British Colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Beatrice Plummer Baroness Plummer ( 14 April 1903 - 13 June 1972) was a British Peeress. Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He was in charge of the Overseas Food Corporation during the disastrous Tanganyika groundnut scheme in the late 1940s; later he became a Labour Party Member of Parliament where he pioneered attempts to outlaw racial discrimination. The Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme (groundnut fiasco was a plan to cultivate tracts of what is now Tanzania with Peanuts It was a project of the British The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament.

Contents

Newspaper business

Plummer was born in Demerara, British Guiana, where his father was working. Demerara in South America was one of the original British colonies that were joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. British Guiana was the name of the British Colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana. He was educated at Tottenham Grammar School in North London, and first worked on the managerial staff of the Daily Herald from 1919. North London is the northern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes The Daily Herald was a British Newspaper, published in London from 1912 to 1964 (although it was weekly during the First World War In 1922 he became General Manager for the New Leader, a paper edited by H. N. Brailsford as the party journal of the Independent Labour Party. For the play see The Labour Leader. For the Irish newspaper see The Leader (newspaper. Henry Noel Brailsford (1873 - 1958 was the most prolific British Left-wing Journalist of the first half of the 20th century See Independent Labor Party for the Political party in Burundi, Independent Labour Group for the Irish party and Labour candidates Plummer shared the left-wing sentiments of the ILP. In 1923 Plummer married Beatrice Lapsker; there were no children of the marriage. Beatrice Plummer Baroness Plummer ( 14 April 1903 - 13 June 1972) was a British Peeress.

Plummer was selected as Labour Party candidate for Birmingham Edgbaston in the mid-1920s but gave up the candidacy in May 1927. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Birmingham Edgbaston is a Borough constituency located in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham. [2] He left the New Leader to set up The Miner,[3] a journal for the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, in 1926. See also the National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa. Template talkInfobox Union

Beaverbrook newspapers

Later, he became an executive of the Daily Express group, and was a Director by 1941. The Daily Express is a conservative Middle-market British Tabloid Newspaper. [4] In 1943 he was general manager of the company. [5] Plummer prospered at the Daily Express group despite disagreeing on politics with the proprietor Lord Beaverbrook because of his own skill as an administrator and Beaverbrook's known liking for talent-spotting among left-wingers. William Maxwell "Max" Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook Bt

Overseas Food Corporation

Plummer left the Daily Express when he was named by John Strachey as chairman-designate of the Overseas Food Corporation at the end of 1947. Evelyn John St Loe Strachey PC ( 21 October 1901 &ndash 15 July 1963) was a British Labour politician and writer However the appointment was not confirmed until February 1948. [6] The Corporation was created to take charge of the Tanganyika groundnut scheme, a massive project to cultivate peanuts on 325 million acres (1,320,000 km²) of scrubland in Tanganyika. The Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme (groundnut fiasco was a plan to cultivate tracts of what is now Tanzania with Peanuts It was a project of the British The peanut, or Groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the Legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico Tanganyika is the name of an East African territory lying between the largest of the African great lakes Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika The scheme was well advanced by the time Plummer moved in, but he was an enthusiastic supporter. In January 1949 he went out to take personal charge of the scheme. [7]

Groundnuts scheme scandal

In the King's Birthday Honours list of June 1949, Plummer was awarded a Knighthood. The Queen's Birthday Honours (or King's Birthday Honours when the monarch is male is a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. [8] However, by the summer of 1949 it was clear that the Groundnuts scheme was in trouble, having gone over budget. The Conservative Party in the House of Commons moved a motion to reduce the estimate in respect of the scheme on 27 July 1949. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [9] In November, one member of the Overseas Food Corporation board, A. J. Wakefield, became so critical of the management of the scheme that the Minister determined to dismiss him. Wakefield offered to resign only if Plummer did so as well; this was unacceptable to Strachey and Wakefield was dismissed. Plummer and Wakefield had a lengthy exchange of public statements, in which Wakefield accused Plummer of suppressing his suggestions. [10]

Plummer was criticised in an editorial in The Times for "failing to restore confidence (even among his staff) in the higher conduct of the scheme". The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. [11] His appointment was called into question by Alan Lennox-Boyd because Strachey had been an old colleague of his in the Independent Labour Party. Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton CH PC (18 November 1904 &ndash 8 March 1983 was a British Conservative Party politician [12] The next month, Plummer was also criticised by the Conservatives for giving a contract for air transport to the nationalised British Overseas Airways Corporation rather than two private airlines which had submitted lower tenders, one of whom subsequently went out of business. The British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 [13] A House of Lords debate on the Groundnuts scheme on 14 December 1949 resulted in a vote of censure of the government, after the Marquess of Salisbury attacked Plummer for being an entirely inappropriate choice to run it. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil 5th Marquess of Salisbury, KG PC ( August 27, 1893 &ndash February 23, 1972) was a [14]

Resignation

Plummer announced his resignation in May 1950, with the new Minister of Food Maurice Webb explaining that the role of the Overseas Food Corporation had changed fundamentally in practice compared with the basis on which Plummer had accepted it. Maurice Everett Webb (1880-1939 was an English architect of the early 20th century who started his architectural career working for his famous architect father Sir Aston [15] The announcement was said to have "brought the biggest cheer from the Opposition benches that has been heard in the House of Commons for a long time". [16]

Deptford MP

In 1951 Plummer was adopted as Labour Party candidate for Deptford. Deptford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Deptford district of South London. During the campaign, his local opponents brought up the large amount of money wasted on the Groundnuts scheme. Plummer responded by saying that all his money was invested in a 900 acre (4 km²) farm in Essex and that although he despised the capitalist system, he had been "extremely fortunate under it and benefited from it". Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common [17] He won the seat easily in the general election. Results |} Total votes cast 28596594 All parties shown Conservative result includes the Ulster Unionists Votes summary Headline [18]

Plummer's maiden speech on 4 March 1952 was on the subject of economic development in Africa. A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly- elected members of a Legislature or Parliament. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [19] He made an early mark by proposing to make illegal the defamation of any body of persons, including a race. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets [20] Plummer was critical of the policies of the Churchill government in Kenya where he felt the Mau Mau Uprising was rooted in poverty[21] and Kikuyu prisoners were mistreated. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south There is also a town in Kiambu district called Kikuyu, and a species of Pennisetum grass native to the Kenyan highlands named Kikuyu [22]

Television

Another preoccupation of Plummer was the slum landlords in his constituency. [23] He was firmly opposed to commercial television, distrusting the motives of advertisers. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand He believed the television companies would be tempted to use "the cheap stuff from America". [24] During the controversy over the BBC's broadcast of Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1954, Plummer helped to sponsor a motion deploring the attacks on the BBC for putting on "programmes capable of appreciation by adult minds". Nineteen Eighty-Four was a British television adaptation of the novel of the same name by George [25]

Racial discrimination

During the 1955 general election campaign, Plummer was embarrassed when he turned up to give a speech in Hemel Hempstead to find that the caretaker had not unlocked the hall. Results |} Total votes cast 26759729 All parties shown Conservatives include National Liberal Party and Ulster Unionists Votes Hemel Hempstead is a Town in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom with a Population of 81143 at the United Kingdom Census A second meeting nearby had been cancelled when only five people turned up. [26] In June 1956 he was taken ill while in the House of Commons, being attended to by Doctor MPs Dr Charles Hill and Dr Barnett Stross. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Charles Hill Baron Hill of Luton ( 15 January 1904 &ndash 22 August 1989) was an English administrator, doctor Sir Barnett Stross ( 25 December, 1899 &ndash 13 May, 1967) was a British doctor and politician [27] He introduced the Racial Discrimination Bill in 1957, aiming to make discrimination on racial grounds illegal; the Bill was talked out by Conservative MP Ronald Bell. Sir Ronald McMillan Bell, ( 14 April 1914 &ndash 27 February 1982) QC (1966 Knight Bachelor (1980 was a [28]

Bank rate leak

In November 1957 Plummer caused uproar on the Conservative benches of the House of Commons by accusing the government of leaking changes to the Bank of England interest rate to the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. A judicial inquiry was set up[29] but found no evidence of any impropriety. [30]

Police guard

Plummer accused the National Labour Party, a far right-wing group, of being behind a rise of anti-semitism in London. The National Labour Party was a Far right Political party founded in 1957 by John Bean. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility The party demanded he substantiate the charge or withdraw it. [31] Plummer maintained his challenge. In August 1960 it was revealed that Plummer had received threatening phone calls and eventually a death threat in a letter from the "Adolf Hitler Memorial League". At the end of April 1960 the police put an armed guard on his flat in Hampstead. Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. [32] The threatening letters continued. [33]

Libel case

The British National Party nominated candidates in local elections in Deptford in 1961, who issued an election address which attacked Plummer under the heading "Your Pro-Black M. This article is about the 1960s party For the modern BNP see here. The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it became part of the London Borough of P. " and accused him of "[coming] down solidly on the side of coloured spivs and their vice dens as opposed to the white people of Deptford". Plummer sued for libel, and was awarded £2,000 in damages. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency [34]

Death

In the 1960s Plummer became interested in promoting East-West trade. He was elected Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary group on this subject in March 1961. [35] He was forced to apologise to Sir Robert Grimston, a Deputy Speaker, when he wrongly accused him of joining a pressure group for commercial radio. Robert Villiers Grimston 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury ( 8 June 1897 – 8 December 1979) was a British Conservative politician [36] He also often took up issues of human rights abuses in Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. On 15 April 1963, Plummer died suddenly in New York where he had gone for a lecture tour. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York

References

  1. ^ Letter from John Strachey, The Times, 19 April 1963.
  2. ^ The Times, 4 May 1927.
  3. ^ British Library catalogue - registration required.
  4. ^ He is listed as attending the memorial service for Charles McCurdy KC as a Director of the Daily Express in The Times of 19 November 1941. Charles Albert McCurdy (1870 &ndash 1941 was a British Liberal Member of Parliament and minister in the Lloyd George Coalition Government.
  5. ^ See list of attendees at the requiem mass for the Earl of Kenmare in The Times of 29 September 1943.
  6. ^ London Gazette: no. 38210, page 1133, 17 February 1948. The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK in which certain Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the
  7. ^ "Mr. Plummer flying to East Africa", The Times, 19 January, 1949.
  8. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38628, pages 2793–2794, 3 June 1949. The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK in which certain Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the
  9. ^ "Parliament", The Times, 28 July 1949.
  10. ^ "Groundnut Plan Statements", The Times, 21 November 1949.
  11. ^ "Responsibility For Groundnuts", The Times, 21 November 1949.
  12. ^ "Inquiry Into Groundnuts Refused", The Times, 22 November 1949.
  13. ^ "House Of Commons", The Times, 14 December 1949.
  14. ^ "Government Defeat On Groundnuts", The Times, 15 December 1949.
  15. ^ "Sir L. Plummer To Resign", The Times, 25 May 1950.
  16. ^ "Comments On The Change", The Times, 25 May 1950.
  17. ^ "In the constituencies", The Times, 22 October 1951.
  18. ^ London Gazette: no. 39372, page 5663, 30 October 1951. The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK in which certain Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Retrieved on 2007-12-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the
  19. ^ "Politics and Parliament", The Times, 5 March 1952.
  20. ^ "Debate On Defamation Bill", The Times, 19 March 1952.
  21. ^ "Parliament", The Times, 8 November 1952.
  22. ^ "Labour M. P. 's motion on Kikuyu prisoners", The Times, 20 March 1953.
  23. ^ "House Of Commons", The Times, 15 December 1953.
  24. ^ "Parliament", The Times, 28 July 1954.
  25. ^ "Political Notes", The Times, 15 December 1954.
  26. ^ "Sir Leslie Plummer Unlucky", The Times, 18 May, 1955.
  27. ^ "Sir L. Plummer Taken Ill In Commons", The Times, 22 June 1956.
  28. ^ "No Colour Bar In Britain", The Times, 11 May 1957.
  29. ^ "Lord Justice Parker To Head "Leak" Inquiry", The Times, 15 November 1957.
  30. ^ "Bank Rate Tribunal Find Allegations Unjustified", The Times, 22 January 1958.
  31. ^ "Party's challenge to Sir L. Plummer", The Times, 29 January 1960.
  32. ^ "12-Day Guard On M. P. ", The Times, 6 August 1960.
  33. ^ "Threatening letters to M. P. again", The Times, 7 April 1961.
  34. ^ "£2,000 For Sir Leslie Plummer", The Times, 25 October 1962.
  35. ^ "East-West Group", The Times, 29 March 1961.
  36. ^ "Apology To Sir R. Grimston", The Times, 23 May 1962.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Jack Cooper		 Member of Parliament for Deptford
1951–1963		 Succeeded by
John Silkin


Persondata
NAME Plummer, Leslie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Plummer, Leslie, Sir
SHORT DESCRIPTION Politician
DATE OF BIRTH 2 June 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Demerara, British Guiana
DATE OF DEATH 15 April 1963
PLACE OF DEATH New York City
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories John Cooper Baron Cooper of Stockton Heath ( 7 June 1908 &ndash 2 September 1988) known as Jack Cooper, was a British A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Deptford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Deptford district of South London. Results |} Total votes cast 28596594 All parties shown Conservative result includes the Ulster Unionists Votes summary Headline John Ernest Silkin, ( 18 March 1923 &ndash 26 April 1987) was an English Politician and Solicitor. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Demerara in South America was one of the original British colonies that were joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. British Guiana was the name of the British Colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York
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