Thomas Hubbard (Member of Parliament)

Thomas Hubbard
Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy Burghs
In office 17 February 1944 – 8 October 1959
Preceded by	Tom Kennedy
Succeeded by	Harry Gourlay
Personal details
Born	Thomas Frederick Hubbard October 1898 Kirkcaldy, Fife
Died	7 January 1961
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour

Thomas Frederick Hubbard (October 1898 – 7 January 1961) was a British coal miner and politician. He represented Kirkcaldy Burghs in Parliament for fifteen years, being a somewhat low-profile Member but often speaking in support of better conditions for pensioners.

A native of Kirkcaldy, Hubbard attended only the local elementary school before going to work as a grocer's assistant. During the First World War he enlisted in the Royal Navy, serving throughout the conflict. After the end of the war, he became a miner. He joined the Labour Party shortly after, and in 1922 married Jessie Cooper of Dysart; they had two sons.

Hubbard was elected to Kirkcaldy Town Council in 1936, and also served on the executive of the Fifeshire Miners' Association. In 1941 he suffered a severe leg injury at work, and retired from mining to become instead an Air-raid shelter superintendent.

The sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Kirkcaldy, Tom Kennedy, announced his resignation in January 1944. Hubbard was selected to fight the seat on 22 January; he faced opposition from Douglas Young, leader of the Scottish National Party, and a candidate standing as a 'Christian Socialist'. Hubbard won by 1,647 votes.

Hubbard only rarely intervened in debate, concentrating on issues he knew well including the Scottish mining industry. In November 1944 he called for a universal state pension of 30s. per week; the rate at the time was 10s./week. From 1946 to 1947, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Joseph Westwood.

...
Wikipedia