Catalogue description William Gallacher (1881 - 1965) papers

Gallacher, William, 1881-1965, Communist MP

William Gallacher began his working life as an engineering worker, was active in the temperance movement from the early 1900s, and became involved in the socialist movement around 1906. He was involved with various groups, and was one of the Clydeside shop stewards' leaders during the 1st World War. He represented the shop stewards' movement at the 2nd congress of the Communist International, where he was persuaded by Lenin of the need to join the newly-formed CPGB. He was involved in forming the Communist Labour Party - a transitional body based in Scotland which served to bring most of the membership of the Socialist Labour Party into the CPGB in early 1921. Gallacher served on the CPGB CC from 1922 to 1963, and on the Political Bureau until 1945. He was jailed in 1921, and again in 1925, along with eleven other leaders of the CPGB. He was elected MP for West Fife in 1935, and held the seat until the general election of 1950. He was Chairman of the CPGB from 1950 to 1956, and President of the party from 1956 to 1965. He published numerous pamphlets and articles, a book and several volumes of autobiography. He was an an alternate member of ECCI from 1924, a full member and a member of the ECCI Presidium from 1926 - 1935, and an alternate member of the Presidium from 1935 to 1943