John George (politician)

Sir John George KBE CStJ
George, taken November 1959.
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Pollok
In office 1955 – 1964
Preceded by	Thomas Galbraith
Succeeded by	Alex Garrow
Chairman of the Scottish Unionist Party
In office 1963–1965
Succeeded by	Sir John Gilmour, 3rd Baronet
Personal details
Born	16 October 1901 Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died	14 October 1972 (aged 70)
Political party	Scottish Unionist Party

Sir John Clarke George, KBE, CStJ (16 October 1901 – 14 October 1972) was a British coalminer and politician. He was one of a very small band of Conservative Members of Parliament to have been working miners.

George's father, also called John Clarke George, was a miner from Fife. After attending Ballingry Public School until the age of 14, George began work in the coal mines. However he later trained for management, and rose through the ranks; by 1938 he was appointed Manager of New Cumnock Collieries.

In 1946 he left the mining industry which was on the verge of nationalisation, and became manager of Alloa Glass Works. At this point he became active in politics as a Unionist and in 1949 he was elected to Clackmannanshire County Council. He was an unsuccessful Parliamentary candidate in South Ayrshire in the 1950 general election, but was elected to Alloa Town Council in 1951. He was awarded the CBE in 1952.

At the 1955 general election, George was elected to Parliament as a Unionist for Glasgow Pollok (the Scottish Unionists took the Conservative whip). Almost immediately he was the trigger for a minor constitutional crisis when it was noted that he was a Director of Scottish Slate Industries, a nationalised industry, having been appointed by the Ministry of Works in February 1947. Although George had not received any remuneration, it was possible that it might be an 'office of profit under the Crown' which would disqualify him from election.

The matter was referred to a Select Committee, while the government rushed through a Bill to change the law. The Committee found that, under the law as it stood, George was disqualified. A bill to indemnify George from the consequences of having acted as an MP while disqualified, and validate his election, was also passed.